Never Too Old When You Have the High Ground
by pauloblolo47
Summary: What would happen if Obi-Wan survived his encounter with Vader on the Death Star? What would happen if he was able to train Luke in person and aid the Rebel Alliance? What would happen if he was later mixed up in time travel...? ;). Follows events of films as well as elements from Rebels and Clone Wars but mixes in a lot of OG material. Romance TBD.
1. The Master Awakens

**WELCOME TO MY BRAND NEW STAR WARS FANFICTION STATTING MY MAIN MAN OBI-WAN**

**I will be following the main storylines of the films but it will diverge from the Star Wars you know in one key place ;). There'll still be all the familiar moments but with one important difference.**

**To those who prefer or also want to read my other fanfiction It Started On Themiscyra, don't worry it's still continuing. I'm just taking the opportunity to get started on my next story since my Batman/Wonder Woman one is about to end.**

**Anyway I don't have much more to add here expect comment, favorite and follow. Love it or hate it let me know so I can imrove.**

**Enjoy chepter 1 of NEVER TOO OLD WHEN YOU HAVE THE HIGH GROUND**

Chapter 1: The Master Awakens

Obi-Wan felt tired.

Not so much due to his age. While he looked like an old man, he was only fifty-eight and the people of his home planet had much longer life spans compared to ordinary humans. He was past his prime but far from obsolete, defenceless or harmless.

Obi-Wan was tired because he'd just finished an intensive, two-hour long lightsaber training. After much digging around in the markets and junkyards of Mos Eisley he was able to salvage an old droid combat remote. It was badly damaged, but he knew capable hands who could fix it. Those of the one he was protecting on this desert planet: Luke Skywalker.

He'd left him the droid and made a whole deal about how he was curious to know what it was and if it would ever work again. Obi-Wan was impressed when Luke instantly labeled it as a combat remote. It only took him a couple hours to fix it and Obi-Wan could not tell the difference between this one and the ones he'd used many times at the Jedi Temple all those years ago.

The memory brought a slight sadness to his eyes as he rinsed the sweat off his bruised and aged body. Decades of living amidst the most retched hive of scum and villainy was bound to leave one's body worst for wear.

As he dried himself off and put his old Jedi robes back on he felt the slightest of twitches through the Force which told him that Luke had strayed away from the surroundings of his uncle's farm. He followed his Force signature closely as it progressed further and further into the mountain ranges: the Sand People's territory; whose Force signatures he could sense moving towards Luke's.

With a sharp whistle, Obi-Wan called his Eopie from its stables and quickly mounted up before taking off into a gallop towards the mountains.

"It would appear the time has come." Obi-Wan reflected as he rubbed his beard thoughtfully.

* * *

Luke opened his eyes with a blazing headache.

He remembered spotting two of the Sand People's Banthas after finding the little blue R2 unit. Then he'd been attacked from behind by one of them, and after that he must have been knocked out.

As his eyes focused, he noticed the hooded figure standing over him. He was saying something but Luke couldn't hear him with his ears still ringing. Once all his senses were back in equilibrium, he finally recognized the man:

"Ben? Ben Kenobi!" he exclaimed with a smile. "Boy am I glad to see you!"

Obi-Wan smiled at the young man's enthusiasm.

"The Jundland Wastes are not to be travelled lightly," the old man admonished with a smile. He helped the boy off his feet and guided him to sit. "Tell me young Luke, what brings you out this far?"

"This little droid," the boy groaned, pointing at R2-D2 who beeped in acknowledgement. "I think he's searching for his former master but I've never seen such devotion in a droid before."

Obi-Wan smiled at the remark. He had no idea how R2-D2, his fallen apprentice's old astromech, had wound up on Tatooine but the fact it had ended up with the son of that same apprentice made him happy. Especially considering who had likely been its previous owner.

Obi-Wan decided to keep quiet about having known R2-D2. The droid hadn't recognized him, perhaps due to a memory wipe, and there was no need to confuse Luke at this point.

"He claims to be the property of an Obi-Wan Kenobi," Luke continued to explain. "Is he a relative of yours? Do you know who he's talking about?"

_So the time truly is now_, Obi-Wan reflected. He sat down slowly on a rock. _How long has it been since someone called me by that name?_

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," he stated, both as a question and a realization. "Obi-Wan… Now that's a name I've not heard in a long time… a long time."

Luke stared up at Ben's whimsical, almost nostalgic tone.

"I think my uncle knows him. He said he was dead."

Obi-Wan smiled at that comment. Owen Lars had always been distrusting of him. He was convinced the old master would bring catastrophe to him and his family, which Obi-Wan didn't entirely disagree with.

"Oh he's not dead," the old man replied. Then looking to the heavens in self-surprise, he added: "not yet".

"Oh you know him?" Luke leaned forward curiously.

"Well of course I know him," Obi-Wan exclaimed with a small smirk. "He's me."

_About time you remembered_, R2 beeped sarcastically at the old man.

Luke looked from one to the other, confusion clear in his blue eyes. This random little astromech knew this recluse old hermit who was mentioned by a princess on a holomessage claiming he was her only hope? _If only you'd let me pick up those power convertors Uncle Owen_, Luke mused.

"I haven't gone by the name of Obi-Wan since… oh before you were born" the old man reflected solemnly, snapping Luke out of his thoughts.

Suddenly, a loud growl reverberated through the canyon. Luke looked around nervously, unable to determine where it had come from. Ben quickly got to his feet and started marching towards the young man's speeder.

"I think we'd better get indoors," he warned. "The Sand People are easily startled but they'll soon be back. And in greater numbers."

_Wait what about 3PO? He's still on my scanners_, R2 beeped and whirred in alarm.

"3PO!" Luke gasped in realization as he followed the little droid.

_Not just R2-D2 but C3-PO as well?_ Obi-Wan thought humorously. _I hope that's the last surprise I'll be having today._

* * *

Once safely back at Obi-Wan's hut, Luke was finally able to relax. The young man was impressed by the state of the old hermit's home. It was well cleaned and seemed to belong to someone who liked staying active. _Can he even bend over to touch his toes?_ Luke wondered with a small smile.

"I may be old Luke but do not mistake me as being crippled." Obi-Wan warned with his back turned.

Luke looked down with a mix of embarrassment and confusion. He'd kept that thought in his head but the way Ben spoke it was like he'd said it out loud. Luke felt it better to keep his mind focused on reattaching C3-PO's arm.

Obi-Wan walked over and sat down on the hard couch. He watched the boy's hands move quickly and effectively between tools and parts, placing them all in the right place and adjusting them accordingly. _Just like his father_, Obi-Wan noted.

Speaking of which, he felt it was perhaps time he started to broach that topic with him.

"Out of curiosity Luke," Obi-Wan asked distractedly. "I was quite close with your father and I wondered if you knew anything about him. Who he was? His part in the Clone Wars?"

Luke looked up briefly before turning back to his work. "No my father didn't fight in the Wars; he was a navigator on a spice freighter."

"That's what your uncle told you," the old man replied with a smirk. "He didn't hold with your father's ideals; thought he should have stayed here and not gotten involved."

Luke put down his tools and looked curiously at Ben. His tone was both questioning and suspicious. "You fought in the Clone Wars?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan replied with a chuckle. "I was once a Jedi knight, the same as your father."

He leaned back against the wall and watched as Luke took this new information with impressive stoicism.

"I wish I'd known him." Luke lamented, sadness falling into his eyes.

Ben watched the boy closely and felt a swell of pride at how strong the boy's connection to his father was.

"He was the best star pilot in the galaxy," Obi-Wan said with a smile. "And a cunning warrior," he added with a glint in his eye. "I understand you've become quite a good pilot yourself?"

Luke smiled bashfully at the compliment. He was happy to hear all these things about his father. He'd never bought his uncle's explanations about who his father was but Ben talked about him like someone who'd actually known him and worked, or fought, beside him.

"And he was a good friend." Obi-Wan added with a hint of nostalgia and regret in his voice.

The day he'd last seen the man he called a good friend was still scarred in his mind even after so many decades. He'd failed that day. He'd failed him and he'd failed the rest of the galaxy. He' been unable to turn him away from the Dark Side and in the end he'd been too cowardly to end his suffering.

He'd just watched on in sorrow and shock as his dearest friend and brother burned alive with three severed limbs. If he'd had the focus and clarity to deliver one final blow, there was no telling how differently everything would have turned out.

This was definitely a subject he was anxious about broaching with Luke but he could feel the young man's burning curiosity. Obi-Wan quickly stood up and started pushing some buttons on R2's side panel. He wanted to distract Luke as long as possible to avoid discussing the subject of his father's death just now.

"R2 here was telling me about a message that was apparently meant for me," the old master explained. "He's going to play it for us now."

Luke finished tightening the last bolt on 3PO's arm before the latter self-powered down. He had a lot more questions he wanted to add but he got the sense that Obi-Wan didn't want to discuss those things at the moment and he was considerate enough not to pry.

Instead, he turned his attention to the familiar blue hologram of the mysterious princess projected on the table and that was now delivering her full message:

"_General Kenobi. Years ago, you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack and I'm afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope."_

Obi-Wan reflexively stroked his beard as he pondered this new information. His instincts had been right, things were starting to be put into motion. Now he had to make sure that the person central to all of this was willing to accept his teachings. For now, he just needed him to accept to call.

"You must come with me to Alderaan Luke." Obi-Wan said in a conspiring tone.

"Alderaan?" the boy asked with a disbelieving smirk. "I'm not going to Alderaan. I've got to get home. It's late, I'm in for it as it is."

"I need your help Luke," Obi-Wan insisted. "_She_ needs your help. I'm getting too old for this sort of thing."

Luke looked back towards Ben. He never liked to say no to someone in need, but this was different. Alderaan was worlds away, he'd never even been off planet. This was something that involved the Rebellion and the Empire. He couldn't get caught up in something like this.

He was about to give his response when Obi-Wan suddenly got up and closed his eyes like he was focusing on something.

Obi-Wan could sense it: a disturbance in the Force. Something terrible was about to happen. He quickly opened the chest near him and removed something that he stashed under his robes. He then turned to Luke and spoke in an urgent tone:

"Luke listen to me very carefully. I want you to get your things and start preparing your speeder for departure. I'll get the droids and meet you out in front of stables. I need you to trust me. Please."

Luke looked into the old man's grey-blue eyes. Their brightness and intensity ended any indecisions he had about trusting Ben. From his physical presence to his aura, Luke could not feel anything deceitful about this kind old man. He nodded quickly, gathered his tools and ran out the front door.

Once Obi-Wan was sure he was gone, he went and switched C3-PO back on who gasped in surprise but quickly got moving when Ben explained the situation.

Finally, Obi-Wan knelt next to R2-D2 and placed a comforting hand on the little droid's dome.

"It's good to see you again R2. I'm also going to need you to trust me here. I want you to give me the information. The Empire is closing in on us and they're looking for two droids. They'd never suspect an old decrepit hermit like myself to have them."

_You were always generally trustworthy_, the little droid mused with bleeps and whirs. _But you have to know that the way this information is configured makes it impossible for me to copy it to my memory banks. If I give you the information, you'll have the only copy._

"I understand old friend," the wise Jedi master nodded. "Thank you."

_They did say to only deliver the information when I was on Alderaan but I seem to have this problem with following authority. Must be my programming,_ the droid joked.

With that, a little card with a distinctive gold disk on it slid out of a slot on R2's front panel. Obi-Wan removed it carefully, admiring it for a few seconds and taking in the importance of what he was holding before stashing it in one of his belt compartments.

"It feels good to be back R2," the old Jedi said with a smirk before heading towards the front door. The little droid let out an affirmative beep and followed him to Luke's waiting speeder.

* * *

Luke pushed the engines as far as they could go. By the end, they were sputtering and smoking dangerously but they were able to get back to his uncle's farm in record time. As he pulled up outside the main hut, he spotted a group of Stormtroopers approaching from a distance. Ben dismounted and Luke followed, rifle in hand.

Hearing the sound of Luke's speeder, Owen Lars came running out into the open, followed by his wife Beru.

"You are in big trouble young man!" he shouted at Luke. The boy looked worriedly over to Ben who simply raised the hood on his cape and linked his hands under his sleeves.

"And you," Owen growled as he turned towards the old Jedi. "I thought I told you if you ever came near my nephew again…"

"Owen!" Beru interrupted with a worried tone. She pointed her husband towards the approaching Stormtroopers. Obi-Wan took the opportunity and stepped towards the couple.

"Owen, Beru, it's good to see you again; though I wish it were under different circumstances," he began with a soft and calm tone. "Owen, you've never liked me and I accept that. You thought I would only bring trouble to your home and while not directly my fault, these Stormtroopers are partly here because of me. I will get straight to the point about what I want you to do and you can choose to agree or not."

Obi-Wan's eyes pierced Owen's with a serenity and seriousness that made the old farmer flinch. He knew who this guy really was but he didn't expect to find that same confidence and resolve he'd observed when Ben had delivered Luke as a baby to them several decades ago. With a slight nod, he allowed Ben to continue.

"I want you to arm yourselves with whatever you have at hand. A blaster or a shovel, it doesn't matter as long as you can use it effectively if it comes to it. After which I want you to barricade yourselves inside the house. Do not come out until I tell you so. Take these two droids with you, if worse comes to worst, you may be able to exchange them for your lives, though I can't guarantee that."

Luke stared at Obi-Wan in disbelief as he laid out his plan. _This is insane!_ he thought. _Even if Ben is a former Jedi, he's still an old man and those are Imperial Stormtroopers!_

"All right Kenobi," Owen responded begrudgingly. "We'll do it your way. Beru, get my rifle."

She ran back to house as Owen helped Luke get C3-PO and R2 off the speeder. Once they were unloaded and Owen was guiding them towards the house, Obi-Wan started walking towards the approaching Stormtroopers.

"Ben wait!" Luke called out. "You can't hope to take them all on by yourself!?"

Obi-Wan turned back and smiled. "I am never alone Luke. I am one with the Force and the Force is with me."

Luke looked on confused as Obi-Wan walked towards the Stormtroopers that were only a hundred meters from the house now. Finally, Luke relented and jogged back to the house before he bolted the door behind him.

_I am one with the Force and the Force is with me_, Obi-Wan repeated as he cleared his mind and relaxed his body.

After a couple seconds, the squad of Stormtroopers and Obi-Wan had met up in the middle of the plain. The old man eyed up his enemies: two flamethrowers, ten regular infantrymen, two elite shock troopers and one squad captain. The hard desert wind made Obi-Wan's cape billow but the top of his face remained covered by his hood.

"Hello there," he greeted in a pleasant tone. "Can I help you gentlemen? You seem lost?"

"It is of no concern to you what we are sodbuster," the captain replied with a prissy, aristocratic tone. "We know you are harboring two droids who possess classified stolen information. If you hand them over immediately, we will make sure your punishment is less severe."

Obi-Wan smiled at the man's textbook diplomacy. Clearly he was used to getting what he wanted when he wanted. He also picked up the uncertainty and nervousness from three of the regular infantrymen along with the clear loathing and bloodlust coming from all the others. _Time to test the waters, _Obi-Wan mused.

"We do not have any droids here. You are mistaken." Obi-Wan enunciated clearly and doing a small wave with his hand.

He noticed the effects of the Jedi mind trick immediately. The less-willing Stormtroopers starting looking at each other as if expecting to be able to leave. The others just became more irritated as they tried to clear their mind of the offending suggestion.

"We now they are here old man.," the captain growled. "Produce them now or suffer the consequences."

"Yes, I suppose the same consequences you inflicted upon those innocent Jawas you massacred," Obi-Wan stated calmly. "They gave you your information but you slaughtered them anyway."

The uncertainty and anger among the troops was slowly turning into worry and fear. _Who is this guy?_.

"They deserved their faith," the captain sputtered, his voice higher than before. He un-holstered his blaster and held it loosely at his side. "And you will meet theirs if you do not produce the droids NOW!"

_So uncivilized_, Obi-Wan thought with a smile. _Now, time to start getting serious._

"I have already told you, there ARE. NO. DROIDS. HERE!" he spoke, each word layered with high amounts of Force suggestion.

This did the trick. The stronger willed ones gripped their heads fiercely as they tried to ignore the deeply planted suggestion. The reluctant Stormtroopers on the other hand dropped to their knees and started crying as they were torn between their intimate desire to leave the Empire and the fear at how the latter would punish them for deserting their post.

The captain pulled on his hair furiously as he tried to refocus his thoughts. As his mind cleared, he growled: "kill him."

In one swift movement, Obi-Wan brought his hands out from between his sleeves. He held a lightsaber in each fist which he ignited to reveal two majestic blue blades.

The three Stormtroopers who didn't want to be here simply cowered down in fear at the sight of the elegant Jedi weapons. The other members of the squad also recognized the ancient swords and opened fire on the old man.

With four graceful swings from the twin sabers, Obi-Wan easily reflected the blaster bolts back at the Stormtroopers and just like that, five of the infantrymen were already dispatched. Before the others could recover from the shock, Obi-Wan used the Force to speed up his movements and cut down the two remaining Stormtroopers. This only left the captain, the two flame troopers and shock troopers as well as the remaining soldiers still cowering in the sand.

"You are outmatched," Obi-Wan announced solemnly, crossing the two sabers in front of him. "Surrender now and I promise you your lives will be spared."

The captain's gaze was completely haggard. He'd just had most of his men defeated in less than three seconds by an old man who turned out to be a Jedi. Hid odds were beyond grim, he knew it, but he also knew that if he presented a Jedi corpse to Lord Vader, it would undoubtedly lead to a promotion.

"Flame unit, forward!" he shouted.

The two flame troopers came to the front of the group and angled their weapons squarely towards Obi-Wan before unleashing two massive jets of flame. Obi-Wan sighed and focused on the Force. He redirected the oncoming bursts of fire and send them flying back to their owners. Two carbonized bodies hit the ground, their flamethrowers dully sputtering out.

The captain was sweating and on the verge of tears. He starred dumbly at the charred remains of his two flame-troopers and back to Obi-Wan who had sheathed his fallen apprentice's saber.

"Surrender," Obi-Wan spoke with finality. "Last chance."

Overcome with a crazed rage, the captain rushed towards Obi-Wan, firing random shots in his direction. The shock troopers followed his lead and opened fire as well.

Obi-Wan deflected the blaster bolts easily and with one decisive swing, killed the captain who crumbled to the ground in a smoking heap. He dispatched the two shock troopers similarly. They were slightly tougher compared to the regular Stormtroopers, but only slightly.

Breathing a small sigh of relief, Obi-Wan put away his lightsaber and turned to the three Stormtroopers who hadn't engaged him. They looked up at him from the ground, their visors caked in a layer of sand.

"Take off your helmets," Obi-Wan said. "Let me see your faces."

With trembling hands, the three men complied. What Obi-Wan saw broke his heart. Their eyes were filled with tears and their minds were clouded with fear. They were barely adults and certainly not men who could kill innocents in cold blood.

"We…surrender!" one of them stuttered out, to which the others gave quivering nods.

"Good," Obi-Wan nodded solemnly. "Listen well! I want you to remove your armor and hide it along with these other bodies. Clean up any sign of a fight. Just leave those two flame troopers and when you're done use their weapons to burn them till they're only skeletons and place them in front of that hut over there. Once you've done all this you may do what you please. By the time the Empire figures out everything that happened here, you will have a decent head start on them if you're not lucky and they declare you dead. Use this money to get off world and as far away from here as possible."

With that, he threw a handful of credits on the ground and walked back towards the hut. One of the men pressed his head against the ground which the other two imitated.

"Thank you master Jedi!" he exclaimed tearfully. "You've saved us. Thank you!"

Obi-Wan smiled to himself and gave them a final wave.

_A Jedi master being thanked… How long has it been since the galaxy heard that…_

* * *

Obi-Wan knocked on the front door of the hut and called out that the Stormtroopers were no longer a problem. Seconds later Luke opened the door, his expression a mix of wonder and disbelief.

"You're alive!" the boy exclaimed. "What happened to the Stormtroopers?"

"They were... unwilling to surrender," Obi-Wan replied slowly. "At least, most of them were."

Luke nodded slowly and led Ben inside the house to a table where his aunt and uncle were seated, one holding a rifle, the other a blaster. C3-PO and R2-D2 watched from a corner as Obi-Wan and Luke pulled up chairs and sat at the table.

Before anyone could speak, Luke caught everyone off guard.

"How did my father die?"

While he was looking at Ben, it was clear the question was also directed to his uncle. Both men exchanged a glance and Owen nodded to Obi-Wan. The old man thought carefully about what to say. Telling him the truth was out of the question; not at this stage. But Ben didn't want to lie to Luke; the boy trusted him. _To tell the truth without having to tell the truth_, Obi-Wan pondered, _I could real use your wisdom Master Yoda._

Finally, he reached a decision and began his explanation:

"A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi knights. He betrayed and murdered your father."

Luke nodded slowly. Owen didn't say anything; he was intelligent enough to share Obi-Wan's concerns about not telling the whole truth to the young man just yet.

Suddenly, Obi-Wan felt again a twitch through the Force. Someone with a strong link to the Force, but also something else… something evil… the Dark Side. Ben's eyes darkened. He recognized that presence. It had been decades but he recognized that Force signature like it was yesterday.

Obi-Wan got up from the table and pulled out Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber. He handed it to Luke who looked admired the mystical weapon, clear fascination in his eyes.

"Your father's lightsaber," Obi-Wan explained. "It is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as random or clumsy as a blaster."

Luke ignited the blade and its soft blue light illuminated the dark room. It lit everyone faces with marvel, like a shining light in an eternal night.

"An elegant weapon, for a more civilised age," Obi-Wan noted whimsically. "I want you to think about my earlier proposition Luke. There is something I need to attend to. I will return in the morning and will hear your answer then."

Luke wanted to ask so many questions but he realized none of them would make his decision any easier. The choice was clear for him and he had to make the final decision.

With that, Obi-Wan turned around and walked outside. The three former soldiers were still toiling hard to erase all signs of a battle and dress the carbonized corpses convincingly. He had to remember to tell Owen and Beru to hide up at his house for some time until the Empire's investigation concluded.

Obi-Wan spotted one of Owen's Dewbacks, hitched up on it and rode towards the distinct two Force signatures.

* * *

After finding Ezra Bridger passed out from exhaustion and heat stroke, Obi-Wan had waited several hours into the night for him to wake up. The fire kept them both warm in the cold night of Tatooine.

Ezra opened his eyes slowly as he looked around him. Chopper and a Dewback each beeped and grinned at him. He was surprised that the little robot wasn't a bit more animated as per his usual demeanour. Seeing Chopper so calm brought Ezra's thoughts back to the figure he'd seen before passing out and his gaze finally fell on the man sitting across from him pocking the fire with a stick, his eyes obscured by his hood.

"You're in the wrong place Ezra Bridger." Obi-Wan said as he raised his face into the light.

"Master?" Ezra asked with a confused look until he finally realized who he was speaking to. "Master Kenobi?"

"I am," Obi-Wan replied. "And when you have your strength, I will help you on your way."

"On my way?" Ezra asked. "No I came here to find you! To warn you."

"About Maul?" Ben asked calmly.

"Yes! You… know?"

"One doesn't survive as long as I have by being foolish," Obi-Wan noted with a smirk. "Or unprepared. Maul is an old adversary; and a persistent one at that."

"We can fight him together!"

"I had no intention of fighting him. Though that seems inevitable now."

"You don't understand. You're the answer! The holocrons told me. They said you would be the one to help us destroy the Sith."

"Hmmm," Obi-Wan mused. "It's the first I've heard of it."

"The Rebellion needs you! We need you to defeat the Empire."

"What you need you already have," Obi-Wan remarked. "Unfortunately, you seem to be letting it all go."

"But… if I had what I needed, why would the holocron send me to you?"

"They didn't," Ben explained, his expression darkening. "Maul did."

The realization hit Ezra like a ton of bricks. Had he really been this foolish? All this time he'd been a pawn in Maul's hand. He thought he was accessing the will of the Force through the holocron but it had all been a trick by Maul.

Obi-Wan laid a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder and led him to sit by the fire.

"Maul used your desire to do good to deceive you," Obi-Wan explained. "And in doing so he has upset the course of many things. He knows your fears. Your heart. And he manipulated the truth which has led you here, where you should never have been."

"But the holocrons…" Ezra spoke, his voice almost a plea. "They tell the truth."

"Do they?" Obi-Wan questioned rhetorically. "The truth is often what we make of it. You heard what you wanted to hear. Believed what you wanted to believe. And now the only one who has gained anything from all of this is…"

"Me," the voice was like a low predatory growl.

Ezra and Obi-Wan both turned their eyes towards Darth Maul, standing just out of the light from the campfire. He held his double ended lightsaber, his yellow eyes like black holes against the night sky. The unmistakable horns and red and black pattern on his face brought forth a host of painful memories for Obi-Wan but he calmed his mind and focused on the here and now.

Ezra tried to get up but Obi-Wan laid a firm hand on his shoulder.

"You must go now." he declared, getting up and moving towards Maul.

"I led him to you," Ezra insisted. "Let me make it right."

"That is not your responsibility," Obi-Wan spoke with finality. "I will mend this old wound."

Maul frowned at the slight insult, his grip tightening around his saber.

"Ride north, that is your way out. Your way home" he said, pointing Ezra to the Drewback as Chopper boosted himself onto its back.

Ezra paused for a second, looking into the old man's unworried eyes. _How can he remain calm in such a situation?_ Ezra wondered. He could detect nothing through the Force but absolute serenity and focus from the old master. _How long would I have to train to be able to face a man like Maul without an ounce of fear?_

Ezra climbed up on the Drewback, gave Obi-Wan a final farewell nod and rode away.

"See you soon apprentice." Maul whispered in a snake-like tone that made Ezra's skin crawl.

With a final wave and a cruel smile towards the young Jedi's retreating form, Maul turned towards the man who had been at the focus of his hatred for most of his life.

"Look what has become of you," he sighed in disbelief. "A rat in the desert."

"Look what I have risen above." Obi-Wan replied calmly.

"I have come to kill you but perhaps it's worse to leave you here? Festering in your squalor."

"If you define yourself by your power to take life. Your desire to dominate, to possess; then you have nothing."

Maul's anger intensified at the old Jedi's words. He lit one end of his saber and with a swing, kicked up a plume of sand that extinguished the fire between them. "And what do you have!?"

Seeing that the old man hadn't responded, Maul started to wonder about his true motive for being here. He started to search the old man's emotions, trying to find something that would tell him why…

"Why come to this place?" he wondered with a leer in his eye. "Not simply to hide. Oh… you have a purpose here – Perhaps you are… protecting something? – No; protecting… someone!"

With those final words, Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber. He'd been careless. He let Maul jar his concentration slightly and had let slip his ultimate secret. If Maul got his hands on Luke and Ezra, there was no telling what terror he would wreak across the galaxy. This had to end now.

Obi-Wan shifted his saber in his hand and moved into the Soresu stance of combat.

Maul ignited his second saber and with and emphatic spin, settled into the Juyo attack stance.

Both men eyed each other coolly, waiting to see who would make the first move. They were both experienced enough to know that the adage of "whoever attacks first loses" didn't apply to a lightsaber duel to the death.

Then Obi-Wan did something Maul couldn't quite believe: he shifted into the Ataru stance.

Maul recognized it instantly of course. It was the form of the first Jedi he'd ever slain: Kenobi's old master, Qui-Gon Jinn. Maul shifted his footing slightly before cursing himself. _He's trying to trick me. He is a Form III practitioner, always has been. There's no way he could have mastered an entirely new Form… There is no way…_

The stare down lasted for a few more agonizing seconds as both men tensed, expecting the imminent attack. Their eyes locked in pure determination on one side and absolute hatred on the other.

Maul attacked first. Closing the distance with a leap, he connected with Kenobi's saber. He followed up with a strike to the Jedi's leg which was also blocked. Seeing an opening, Maul pushed the hilt of his saber forward to strike Kenobi's face but Obi-Wan slipped under his defenses, brought down his blade through his opponent's lightsaber handle and cut clean across his chest.

It took a couple seconds for Maul to realize what had happened. Then it hit him. He felt the warmth spreading across his chest and the energy slowly leaving his limbs. He extinguished his now separated sabers and crumbled to the ground, only to be caught by Obi-Wan who slowly lowered him onto his knee.

Maul looked up into the eyes of the man he'd been hunting for so long and found no joy in them. No satisfaction or relief at having finally felled his greatest foe. He'd killed hundreds; thousands to break this man. He'd murdered the woman he loved and beaten him to the brink yet Obi-Wan still looked at him with empathy as he slowly succumbed to his wounds.

"Tell me…" he pleaded in a shaky tone. "Is it the Chosen One?"

Obi-Wan looked back to the man who'd haunted so many of his dreams during the Clone Wars and after. He regretted that only now he saw Maul for what he truly was: a victim. Someone who'd been manipulated and used by the man who was the source of both their suffering: Darth Sidious. A man who'd abused and destroyed his first apprentice just as he had his current one.

"He is." Obi-Wan replied with a nod.

Maul vision started to blur as his body slowly went slack. His last words were like a whisper: "He… will… avenge us."

His body went limp; his essence returned to the living Force. Obi-Wan passed a hand over his eyes, closing them forever.

Obi-Wan Buried Maul under a couple feet of sand. As the various sand winds pass over the desert it will continue to build over his body. He put his two red lightsabers with him as well as a simple stele: _Here lies a man, first and foremost._

* * *

Obi-Wan decided to spend the night at his makeshift campfire. After relighting the fire he eased himself against a fallen tree trunk and let fatigue overcome him. It was one of the first peaceful sleeps he'd had in a long time.

Early the next day, he opened his eyes to see that his Drewback had returned to him. He had no idea how that was possible but he didn't complain since doing the return trip on foot wasn't something he envied.

After a couple hours of slow riding, Owen' moisturiser farm finally came into view. He dismounted just outside the main hunt and a few seconds later Luke, Owen and Beru emerged from inside.

Obi-Wan smiled when he saw that Luke had his father's lightsaber hanging off his belt as well as a backpack slung over his shoulder. It reminded him a lot of how young Anakin had left Tatooine after being freed by Qui-Gon.

Luke hugged his aunt and uncle tightly before walking determinedly towards the old master.

"I want to come with you to Alderaan," he said resolutely. "I know what I'm fighting for now. I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father."

Obi-Wan brimmed with pride at hearing those words. He looked back towards Owen and Beru who smiled at both of them and gave them a final good luck wave.

"Make sure you aren't here when the Empire comes to investigate," Obi-Wan called to them. "You'll need to trash your home convincingly and go hide at my house for a couple weeks until it all blows over."

They both nodded and after a couple more seconds went back inside to prepare their departure. Luke and Obi-Wan headed for the speeder where C3-PO and R2-D2 were already waiting and headed for Mos Esley Spaceport.

**HOLY COW THAT WAS LONG!**

**Very dense chapter, lots of events from all sorts of places. If you don't like some of the events I'm describing, sorry but that's how it's gonna be, if you enjoyed, strap on your seatbelts cause we're just getting started.**

**Got chapters 2 and 3 already written, want to try and keep some sort of schedule but I'm not sure how it'll pan out. No promises.**

**Obi-Wan is among my favorite characters and I was disappointed in the lack of fanfics that look at him when he's old on Tatooine. So eventually I was like: "hold on... you're a writer. So just, write your own story." and that's how Never Too Old When You Have the High Ground was born.**

**Reviews, comments and favorites are all appreciated.**


	2. A Wretched Hive

**Another chapter and another chapter for my Justice League fanfiction coming soon!**

**As usual: comments, favorites and follows are greatly appreciated.**

Chapter 2: A Special Kind of Ship

It took Obi-Wan, Luke and the droids three hours to reach Mos Eisley. Luke had gone there a few times, and each time he'd been eager to leave. This city was a hornet's nest of malice and crime but, according to Obi-Wan, also the best place to find a pilot that could take them to Alderaan.

As they drove through the bustling streets lined with food stalls and mechanic shops, Obi-Wan gripped Luke's forearms and told him to stop the speeder. Luke was confused but complied and pulled over by the side of the road.

Obi-Wan dismounted and entered a shop that Luke identified as a junk dealership. He followed him inside and saw the old Jedi looking around the shop nostalgically.

An old Toyderian with unkempt facial hairs _flew_ out of a backdoor and approached his potential buyers.

"Ah welcome customers!" he grinned with a rather repugnant set of tusks and teeth. "What is it I canna help ya with?"

"Watto?" Obi-Wan asked with a smirk.

"Ye is a me," he answered with a suspicious look. "Who's asking?"

"Do you remember selling a slave by the name of Shmi Skywalker a couple years ago?" he asked. "Earlier still you may remember losing a bet with a Jedi master for a new hyperdrive generator."

Watto's blue and craggy face paled. Luke looked confusedly from one to the other. _Do these two know each other? How does a Jedi Knight know a sleazy parts seller?_

"I may remember that…" Watto replied cautiously.

"I'm sure you kept some of her belongings," Obi-Wan continued. "Perhaps hoping you could sell it for a good price later. I want you to show me what you have."

Watto stayed still for a couple seconds, except from his wings that kept him at eye level with Obi-Wan. This old man clearly knew a lot; and he was a Jedi. The thought briefly came to his mind about reporting him to the Empire, but as if hearing his thoughts Obi-Wan brought into view the lightsaber hanging at his belt.

"Let me get it," Watto relented. "It's in the back."

The old Toyderian flew to his backroom as Obi-Wan walked around the shop, examining the different pieces of equipment in varying states of disrepair. Luke stayed close to him, waiting for an explanation.

"Your grandmother and father were born on Tatooine as slaves," Obi-Wan said as he examined the head of an old protocol droid. "My master, Qui-Gon Jiin, and I found ourselves on this planet and he was able to free you father but not your grandmother. She was eventually bought and married to Cliegg Lars, your uncle's father. They were both very happy for several years before she was… killed by Tusken Raiders."

Luke was speechless. He couldn't believe how much more he'd learned about his family from Obi-Wan then from two decades living with his aunt and uncle. He was curious about his grandmother despite the fact he'd never met her, much like his father.

Watto came flapping back, carrying a box filled with various clothes and knick-knacks.

"All here." he announced, setting the box on a table.

Obi-Wan removed the lid and started to look through Shmi's old belongings. He put aside the clothes and examined the other objects. Most of them weren't very interesting except for what Obi-Wan was hoping to find: a half carved piece of Japor Snippet.

It looked to be some sort of bird with only its head having been fully carved. There was an impressive amount of detail and it was small enough to fit in the palm of one's hand; _or around one's neck_, Obi-Wan thought.

"How much?" he asked Watto, holding up the carving.

"That?" he asked unenthusiastically. "It's a junk. Free! I don't care, just leave."

"Why thank you." Obi-Wan nodded with a smile as his eyes fell on Shmi's discarded clothes.

He searched though the different robes and shirts, all made out of cheap and coarse fabric, until he found something priceless: a picture of Shmi and Anakin Skywalker.

The picture brought a wave of sadness to Obi-Wan. He remembered it like it was yesterday, meeting Anakin for the first time aboard Queen Amidala's Nubian starship. His headstrong personality had initially frustrated him but he'd grown to find it endearing and a good counterweight to his sometimes serious demeanor. Obi-Wan quickly stamped down these old memories and glanced back at the bored looking Toydarian.

"I'll take this too."

Watto waved him off with a bored expression and Luke followed Obi-Wan as he exited the shop. Once outside, the old master pulled Luke aside into the shade.

"I want you to hold on to both of these Luke," Obi-Wan asked, handing him the carving and the picture. "This carving meant a lot to your grandmother and father, and I feel it will come to mean a lot to you too. And this: is a picture of the two of them."

Luke observed the carving closely and noticed it had a hole where the bird's eye was supposed to be. He reached into one of the compartments on his belt where he kept a variety of bits of junk to tinker with and produced a small length of chain. He threaded it through the eyehole and tied it into a loop which he passed around his neck.

"Thanks Ben." he replied with a sincere tone.

He then observed the picture closely. It showed a woman and young boy crouching next to each other with broad smiles on their faces, their arms wrapped tightly around each other. His father had the same eye and hair color as himself but strangely, not she same as his mother. _Strange_, Luke thought_._

He also noticed the pendant hanging around both their necks which appeared to be of the same material as the one he was now wearing. He gripped it tightly and put the picture in his pocket, feeling instantly closer to both of them.

Obi-Wan patted Luke on the back and they both got back on the speeder, continuing their drive through the crowded streets of Mos Eisley.

After a couple minutes, Obi-Wan signaled Luke to stop again, this time in front of an ominous looking cantina.

Obi-Wan and Luke entered the infamous place where the best freighter pilots in the sector were said to hang out. They'd had to leave R2 and 3-PO outside. Luke was leaning against the bar trying to make himself discreet as Obi-Wan struck up a conversation with a Wookie next to him.

Luke was amazed by the diversity of species in this one cantina. They each had a different home planet; in this one room there was easily a hundred different worlds represented and for all of his life Luke had only known one: Tatooine. He was getting butterflies in his stomach in anticipation for all the new things he was about to learn and discover.

Suddenly, an angry looking Aqualish shoved Luke aside and growled something incomprehensible to him. Luke kept his head down and moved away slightly, anxious to avoid a confrontation.

Luke felt a tap on his shoulder and when he turned around, a horribly disfigured human was inches away from his face.

"He doesn't like you." the man stated distastefully.

"I'm sorry." Luke replied, trying to return to his drink.

"I don't like you either," he insisted, pulling Luke towards him. "You just watch yourself. We're wanted men. I have the death sentence on twelve systems!"

Luke was getting uncomfortable and more than a little scared. Some patrons were turning towards them clearly eager to see if a fight was going to break out. Luke felt the best approach was to not provoke this guy.

"I'll be careful." he replied evenly.

"You'll be DEAD!" the man shouted back threateningly.

_So much for that,_ Luke though.

Finally, Obi-Wan turned away from his conversation with the Wookie to weigh in on the exchange.

"This little one's not worth the effort," he said, smiling at the scarred pirate. "Come let me get you something."

Next thing Luke knew, the man threw him across the room and he crashed into a table. He heard the sound of a lightsaber igniting, then a blaster firing, followed by a guttural cry of pain. When he looked back towards the counter, his eyes fell on the bloody severed arm laying on the floor. Its owner and his friend ran out of the cantina, terrified.

Luke watched in awe as Obi-Wan kept his lightsaber ignited a few more seconds, sweeping his gaze across the room as if daring anyone else to challenge him. When no one seemed to volunteer he extinguished his lightsaber. The music and hum of voices resumed immediately like nothing had happened.

Obi-Wan walked over to Luke and helped him up under the impassive eyes of the Wookie he'd been talking to.

"I'm alright." Luke assured him as he shook of his daze.

"Chewbacca here is first mate on a ship that might suit us." Obi-Wan explained, leading Luke over to a nearby booth.

A cocky looking man dressed in a white shirt and black bolero jacket slid into the booth next to Chewbacca.

"Han Solo," he introduced without preamble. "I'm captain of the Millennium Faulcon. Chewie here tells me you're looking for passage to the Alderaan system."

"Yes indeed, if it's a fast ship." Obi-Wan stated.

"Fast ship?" Han asked in mock insult. "You've never hear of the Millennium Faulcon?" His tone was absolute shock and disbelief.

"Should I have?" Obi-Wan said distractedly.

Luke already disliked this guy. His self-assured attitude that didn't answer to anyone reminded him of the bullies who used to pick on him when he was a kid. He did his best to stay neutral and almost felt Obi-Wan's thoughts telling him to control his feelings.

"It's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs." Han boasted smugly. Seeing that he was getting no reaction from his audience, he put on a confident smirk as he leaned in closer. "I've outrun Imperial Starships. Not the local bulk cruiser mind you, I'm talking about the big Corellian ships now." Seeing that he was still getting no recognition from Obi-Wan or Luke, Han decided to just cut to business. "She's fast enough for you old man. What's the cargo?"

"Only passengers," Obi-Wan replied with a knowing smile. "Myself, the boy, two droids… and no question asked."

Han smirked broadly at the seriousness in the old man's tone.

"What is it some kind of local trouble?"

"Let's just say we'd like to avoid any Imperial entanglements."

"Well that's the real trick isn't it?" Han stated rhetorically, leaning back in his seat. "And it's gonna cost you something extra…"

_Here it comes_, Obi-Wan thought reflexively.

"Ten thousand. All in advance."

Luke's jaw hit the floor. That was an insane amount of money. This guy was clearly trying to scam them; he couldn't keep quiet anymore.

"Ten thousand?!" Luke asked in disbelief. "We could almost buy our own ship for that."

"But who's gonna fly it kid? You?" Han said with a goading smirk.

"You bet I could," Luke huffed in exasperation. "I'm not such a bad pilot myself. We don't need to sit here and listen…"

Luke tried to get up but Obi-Wan gestured for him to stay put. Frustrated, the boy plopped back in his chair.

"We can pay you two thousand now," Obi-Wan began locking eyes with the smuggler. "Plus fifteen when we reach Alderaan."

The reactions from everyone around the table were priceless. Chewbacca simply raised his thick eyebrows in disbelief while Luke turned to Obi-Wan in utter shock. _How can he even promise money like that? Is it a trick?_, the boy thought.

Han's eyes gleamed with the promise of a much larger payout than he'd initially asked for.

"Seventeen huh?" he asked slowly, to which Obi-Wan nodded. Han paused for a moment. "Okay you guys got yourselves a ship. We'll leave as soon as you're ready. Docking bay ninety-four."

"Ninety-four." Obi-Wan repeated.

Han's eyes slowly shifted behind them where a group of Stormtroopers were talking with the barman.

"Looks like somebody's beginning to take an interest in your handiwork." he remarked drily.

Obi-Wan had known they were there before they'd entered the cantina and already had his escape plan figured out. Before he left, he leaned over to Han and whispered:

"I'd recommend you shoot as soon as you have the chance."

The smuggler looked back at Obi-Wan with a confused look but he and Luke had already disappeared into the crowd.

"If the ship's as fast as he's boasting, we ought to do well." Obi-Wan said to Luke as they approached the Millennium Faulcon's docking bay.

They met Chewbacca outside, who led them down to see the ship. Obi-Wan could sense the figure that had been following them for most of the day. It was reporting them to the Empire and Obi-Wan knew they would have to leave very soon.

They went down a flight of stairs and arrived face to face with the Millennium Faulcon. It wasn't the most elegant ship Obi-Wan had ever seen but Luke's comment summed it up even more concisely.

"What a piece of junk!"

Han, who was doing final checks on the undercarriage, gave him a sardonic glare.

"She'll make point five past light speed," he announced proudly. "She may not look like much but she's got it where it counts kid. I've made a lot of special modifications myself. But we're a little rushed so if you'll just get onboard, we'll get out of here."

Han's fake welcoming smile didn't fool any of them but Obi-Wan appreciated his urgency to leave. He could sense a squad of Stormtroopers closing in on the hanger.

The old Jedi hung back a little as Luke and the droids boarded the ship. He eyed Han and the doors to the hangar closely as the smuggler finished doing the final inspection.

Just then, a squad of Stormtroopers burst into the hanger.

"Stop that ship!" the leader called out. "Blast them!"

Obi-Wan quickly deflected the first shot back to its owner and Han's quick reflexes took out another Stormtrooper with a well-aimed shot from his pistol. Both men turned to each other and the younger man gave Obi-Wan a slight nod of acknowledgment. He fired off shots and the Jedi deflected blaster bolts until they'd both backed up the boarding ramp and onto the ship.

Once they were both inside, Han sealed the Faulcon and ran towards the cockpit.

"Chewie get us out of here!" he called to the Wookie.

Obi-Wan quickly joined Luke, R2 and C3-PO and fastened his seat belt as the entire ship started to shake and lift away from Tattooine's gravitational pull.

"Oh my, I've forgotten how much I hate space travel." C3-PO lamented in response to R2's cheerful beep.

After a few more seconds the ship stopped shaking as they entered the vacuum of space.

Luke quickly unfastened his seat belt and made a beeline for the cockpit. _Always on the move_, Obi-Wan mused as he followed the boy into the cockpit.

"Stay sharp there's two more coming in they're gonna try and cut us off." Han pointed to Chewbacca as he calculated the jump to light speed.

"Why don't you outrun them I though you said this thing was fast!?" Luke commented in frustration.

"Watch your mouth kid or you're gonna find yourself floating home." Han rebuked him sharply. "We'll be safe enough once we make the jump to hyperspace… Besides I know a few manoeuvers. We'll lose them."

The ship started to shake dangerously as the deflector shields were battered by a barrage of laser cannon fire from the Star Destroyers behind them.

"This is where the fun begins." Han said with a grin.

"How long before you can make the jump to light speed?" Obi-Wan asked urgently.

"It'll take a few moments to get the coordinates from the navicomputer." Han replied.

Obi-Wan nodded and moved out of the cockpit.

"I'll try and buy you some time." he announced to everyone before disappearing down the corridors of the ship.

Obi-Wan moved towards the end of the ship and slowly emptied his mind of all distractions. He reached deep into the Force; sensed all the living beings on that Star Destroyer and found the ones that were firing the cannons.

Reaching out through the Force he clouded the gunners' senses; made their hands slip and misfire or fire completely off target.

For several seconds, not a single shot came even close to the Millennium Faulcon until the coordinates were finally obtained and the ship disappeared into hyperspace.

Once Obi-Wan saw those familiar blue swirls and streaks he knew they were safe, at least for now. He slowly made his way back to the front of the ship.


	3. A Great Disturbance

**We're getting closer and closer to our big deviation from Star Wars canon (though we were definitely deviating before ;).**

**Really enjoyed writing this chapter, especially some of the calmer, character driven interactions. Hope you enjoy it. Please comment, favorite and follow if you do.**

**Here we go, Never Too Old When You Have the High Ground chapter 3.**

* * *

Kayla had finished school and she was in a very good mood. She'd gotten a perfect score on her report card and her mother had promised a special surprise if she managed to pull it off.

With a skip in her step she made her way through the bustling streets of the capital. It was market day, the air was filled with the smell of baked goods and the sounds of various folkloric bands.

She entered Mrs. Gyu's bakery and the mouthwatering aromas of cakes and fresh bread hit her like a wave. She walked up to the counter where the old shopkeeper waited with a kind smile.

"Hello Mrs. Gyu!" Kayla said cheerfully.

"Kayla!" Mrs. Gyu greeted. "It's good to see you child. How was school?"

"Same old, same old," Kayla shrugged. "I got a perfect score on my report card and mom promised a reward for it."

"That's wonderful!" Mrs. Gyu said. "Well you also deserve a reward from me. Here: apple bun."

Mrs. Gyu handed the girl the tasty treat, fresh from the oven, which she accepted gratefully.

"Thanks Mrs. Gyu! I should get going, I don't want mom to think about going back on her promise." Kayla said with a mischievous smirk.

"Get going then child," Mrs. Gyu said, shooing her away. "Weather's looking a bit grim, I fear a storm."

Kayla nodded and jogged out of the store, down some streets and past the city gates. The powerful noise and smells of the urban sprawl were quickly replaced by the quiet, mellow sights and sounds of the countryside. She slowly devoured the apple bun, letting the warmth of the sun melt away her worries.

After fifteen minutes, Kayla's house finally came into view. It was an elegant home, built all out of wood, on two levels, with a giant garden, creating a natural link between the house and its environment.

Kayla ran full speed through the front door, tossed her bag on the couch and ran into the kitchen where her mother, Yuin, was mixing up a pie filling. She turned just in time to catch her daughter as she jumped into her arms and gave her a strong hug.

"Hey Mooncheek," Yuin greeted with a smile. "You seem excited, what's the good news?"

"Got a perfect score on my report card," the young girl replied cheekily. "You know what that means…"

Yuin smiled at her daughter's savviness.

"How could I forget," she answered knowingly. "But your father has to be here before I can give you the surprise. Go get him, he's in the backyard."

Kayla planted a quick kiss on her mother's cheek before squirming out of her grasp and running to the back of the house to find her father.

She pushed the patio door open and spotted him near the henhouse chopping up firewood. She removed her shoes and stepped out onto the grass, letting the blades tickle the soles of her feet.

She was about to step forward when she noticed the large patch of shade moving towards her. _Mrs. Gyu was right. Looks like a storm_, she thought.

She looked up and saw an imposing grey moon with a large circular carving looming over her. Its shadow now covered Kayla's house and everything else for miles and miles; the sun could no longer be seen. It had blocked out the sun.

She could a spot a faint green glow at the center of the grey moon, getting more and more intense.

When Kayla looked back down, she was her father running towards her, a terrified look in his eyes. Kayla reached out to him.

"KAYLA!"

"DADDY!"

* * *

Obi-Wan clutched his heart, feeling a harrowing pain course through his body. It was like he'd been hit by lightning, branded with an iron and hit with a metal bat, all at the same time.

With great difficulty, the Jedi master sat himself on a nearby chair. Luke, who was practicing his lightsaber skills against a remote, came kneeled at side with a concerned look.

"Are you alright," he asked. "What's wrong?"

"I felt a great disturbance in the Force," Obi-Wan said, trying to calm his breathing. "As if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened."

Obi-Wan tried to stretch out with the Force to understand what had happened but his senses were in too much turmoil to help him. He needed to meditate to calm this sudden rush of Force energy he'd felt.

"You'd better get on with your exercises." Obi-Wan said to Luke, as reassuringly as he could.

Luke did as he was told and reactivated the remote just as Han waltzed down the corridor and into the main room where they all were.

"Well you can forget your troubles with those Imperial slugs," Han announced. "I told you I'd outrun them."

He looked over to Obi-Wan who was gazing into the distance, deep in concentration, while Luke was diligently trying to block the remote's attacks with his practice saber.

"Don't everybody thank me at once." he said sarcastically. "Anyway we should be at Alderaan in 0200 hours.

In the corner of the room Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C3-PO were in the middle of a tense game of Dejarik. R2 made his move and looked to Chewbacca for him to make his. The Wookie input a command and his Kintan Strider moved to the center of the board.

"Now be careful R2." C3-PO warned.

With a cocky bleep, the little droid moved his Mantellian Savrip. It picked up Chewbacca's Kintan Strider and threw him to the ground, claiming victory.

Chewbacca let out a guttural roar of frustration at the droid's surprise attack.

"He made a fair move," C3-PO said in his comrade's defense. "Screaming about it can't help you."

Chewbacca let out a low growl cocking his head slightly as he examined the pieces on the board.

"Let him have it, it's not wise to upset a Wookie." Han told 3PO from his chair.

"But sir, nobody worries about upsetting a droid." C3-PO retorted.

"That's cause a droid don't pull people's arms out of their sockets when they lose," Han replied with a grin. "Wookies are known to do that."

3PO and R2 turned worried gazes towards Chewbacca who leaned back in his seat and put his paws behind his head. They couldn't determine his exact facial expression but he seemed quite proud with Han's description of his temperament.

"I see your point sir," C3-PO responded with expert diplomacy. "I suggest a new strategy R2: let the Wookie win."

Chewbacca seconded the idea with a growl.

As the Wookie and the droids continued their game, Luke carefully followed the path of the remote and reflexively blocked as soon as he saw it fire.

_His natural reflexes are already far above average for someone who's never even touched a lightsaber_, Obi-Wan thought, watching Luke closely.

He saw that as the remote shifted orientation slightly, Luke quickly compensated by angling his saber accordingly. It required months of training for younglings to be able to block blasts from a remote, but Luke was already doing it after barely ten minutes of practice. _Though he's not yet relying on the Force to guide him_, Obi-Wan noticed.

"Remember, a Jedi can feel the Force flowing through him." Obi-Wan directed to the young man.

"You mean it controls your actions?" Luke asked, his eyes still fixed on the remote.

"Partially, but it also obeys your command." the old Jedi replied

Just then, the remote fired a shot that passed under Luke's guard and stung him right on the leg which was greeted by a laugh from Han.

"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side kid." Han stated with a confident smirk.

With the remote on standby, Luke extinguished his practice saber and regarded Han with an impassive gaze.

"You don't believe in the Force do you?" he asked the smuggler.

"Kid I've flown from one side of this galaxy to the other," Han said, rolling his eyes. "I've seen a lot of strange stuff but I've never seen anything to make me believe there's one all powerful force controlling everything. There's no mystical energy field that controls MY destiny."

Obi-Wan smiled at his last statement. It was something he'd often heard from sceptics about the concept of the Force and the influence it possessed over the future. Some thought it imposed a fatalistic approach to life which was absolutely untrue in Obi-Wan's experience. The Force influenced and sometime directed but it never obligated anyone to do anything. The final decision always lied with the user.

"It's all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense." Han summarized.

Obi-Wan got to his feet and reached for the pilot helmet behind him.

"I suggest you try it again Luke," Ben proposed. "But this time let go of your conscious self; and act on instinct."

With this, he pushed the helmet over Luke's head, completely obstructing the boy's vision.

"With the blast-shield down I can't even see," Luke chuckled in disbelief. "How am I supposed to fight?"

"Your eyes can deceive you; don't trust them," Obi-Wan stated as Han turned to look at Luke curiously.

The young man ignited his saber and raised it up. He was at a complete loss. He could hear the remote moving in front of him and tried to angle his lightsaber according to that but he had no way of predicting when and where it would fire. As he expected, when it fired he was unable to stop the bolt and it struck him clean in the shoulder with the strength of a hard punch. Luke let out a low grunt of frustration.

"Stretch out with your feelings." Obi-Wan encouraged.

Luke let out a breath to calm himself and raised his saber again. This time he closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. He visualized the remote in front of him, tried to feel it like he felt the lightsaber in his hands or the ship under his feet. He started to see a glimpse of something and just then he sensed that the remote was about to fire.

Obi-Wan watched as Luke perfectly deflected three successive shots from the remote. He'd also sensed the first connection Luke had had with the Force and he was impressed how effectively the young man had called upon its power. _This boy is gifted, like his father_, Obi-Wan reflected.

"You see. You can do it." Obi-Wan acknowledged Luke with a smile.

Behind him, Han watched the whole scene with careful pessimism.

"I call it luck." he said sardonically as Luke removed the helmet.

"In my experience there's no such thing as luck." Obi-Wan replied calmly.

"Look good against remotes is one thing." Han challenged with a smirk. "Good against the living, that's something else."

Just then a light started flashing on the console next to him.

"Looks like we're coming up on Alderaan." Han announced as he went back to the cockpit.

As Chewbacca followed him, Luke walked up to Obi-Wan, his eyes filled with excitement.

"You know I did feel something," the boy said. "I could almost see the remote."

"That's good," Obi-Wan congratulated, laying a firm hand on Luke's shoulder. "You've taken your first step into a larger world."

They both entered the cockpit but instead of seeing Alderaan, there was only a bunch of asteroids and debris.

"What's going on?" Luke asked.

"Our position's correct expect… no Alderaan." Han said, confused.

"What do you mean? Where is it?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell ya kid, it ain't there. Totally blown away."

"What?! How?"

"Destroyed; by the Empire." Obi-Wan explained with a worried tone.

"The entire Starfleet couldn't destroy the whole planet," Han cut in with a disbelieving tone. "It would take a thousand ships with more firepower than I've— "

He was interrupted by a flashing diode indicating an approaching ship.

"There's another ship coming in." he told everyone.

"Maybe they know what happened?" Luke suggested.

"It's an Imperial fighter." Obi-Wan corrected him.

Just as he said that, a TIE fighter passed over them with its distinctive screech.

"It followed us?!" Luke asked in disbelief.

"No. It's a short range fighter." Obi-Wan said.

"There aren't any bases around here. Where did it come from?" Hans asked rhetorically, not liking all this mystery.

They sped up to keep pace with the fighter that starting to accelerate.

"It sure is leaving in a big hurry," Luke bemoaned. "If they identify us we're in big trouble."

"Not if I can help it. Chewie jam its transmissions."

"It would be as well to let it go," Obi-Wan proposed. "It's too far out of range."

"Not for long!" Hand challenged, pushing the Millennium Faulcon even faster.

"A fighter that size couldn't get that deep into space on its own." Obi-Wan wondered out loud.

"Yeah he must have gotten lost." Luke proposed. "Part of a convoy or something."

"Well he ain't gonna be around long enough to tell anybody about us." Han said decisively.

As they continued to chase after the lone TIE fighter, they started to make out a small mass in the distance that was getting larger and larger.

"Look at him he's heading for that small moon." Luke pointed out.

"Think I can get him before he gets there," Han said, deep in concentration. "He's almost in range."

As Obi-Wan's eyes started making out the object in the distance, he felt through the Force a familiar presence he had long forgotten. He was beginning to understand.

"That's no moon," he said ominously. "It's a space station."

"It's too big to be a space station." Han protested, his eyes worried as the "moon" started coming into view.

"I've a very bad feeling about this." Luke whispered as the Death Star was now fully in view.

"Turn the ship around." Obi-Wan said to Han urgently.

"Yeah… I think you're right," Han replied evenly, keeping the nervousness out of his voice. "Full reverse. Chewie lock in the auxiliary power!"

As the Faulcon attempted to turn back, the whole ship started shaking and rumbling violently as they continued moving forward.

"Chewie lock in the auxiliary power!" Han repeated, louder.

"Why are we still moving towards it?!" Luke shouted anxiously.

"We're caught in a tractor beam. It's pulling us in!" Han replied in frustration.

"There's got to be something you can do?!"

"Nothing I can do kid, I'm full power. I'm gonna have to shut down. They're not gonna get me without a fight!"

As the shaking subsided, the imposing mass of the station hit them all as they came closer and closer.

"You can't win," Obi-Wan told Han. "But there are alternatives to fighting."

The smuggler simply looked forward, his eyes locked on the massive space station that dwarfed his own ship and any other ship in the galaxy. _How could such a thing even get made?_ Han wondered._ And how could a thing like that even be defeated?_

These questions weighed heavily on everyone's mind as they were swallowed up by the Death Star.

* * *

**DONE! The plot thickens… ;)**

**Please tell me your thoughts in the comments. As long as its constructive, I'm happy to hear it. **

**Hope you enjoyed.**


	4. Escape

**HA HA! ONLY ONE MORE CHAPTER BEFORE THE KEY CHANGE!**

**Hope everyone's enjoying NTOWYHHG (epic abbreviation I know ;). I'm trying to add some details between the well-known scenes of the movies to flesh out my alternate universe of Star Wars. Hope it peaks your interest.**

**Anyway, I'll stop talking and just give you Chapter 4. Enjoy! Favorites, comments and follows are all greatly appreciated.**

* * *

When Han realized there was no way of escaping the tractor beam, he directed everyone to a set of hidden floor panels. The droids and Obi-Wan went in one, while Han, Luke and Chewbacca used the other. Once the fake floor was back in place, they waited in silence as the Faulcon was brought onto a landing pad.

Obi-Wan focused on keeping his emotions clear. He had recognized the familiar presence of his fallen apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, now Emperor Palpatine's apprentice, Darth Vader.

Obi-Wan knew he could only conceal his presence for so long. Vader would eventually catch on to him being here. Obi-Wan needed to buy as much time as possible for the others to escape with the princess, who's presence he also sensed onboard. She was very different from the infant he'd helped deliver so many decades ago but her fiery spirit and rebellious streak seemed to be intact.

Everyone waited for several minutes, listening closely to the footsteps above them and the sounds of things being thrown as the ship was searched. Han had to reign in his frustration at having his ship ransacked and the urge to leave his hiding spots guns blazing. It would make a great story but wasn't much use if he couldn't tell it to anyone. _Which is the real trick_, he mused.

Eventually, the sound of footsteps disappeared, followed by the voice of a Stormtrooper reporting that they'd found no one. They all knew this was the moment and lifted the false floor above their hiding spots.

Han looked around quickly to make sure the coast was clear, blaster in hand.

"Boy, it's lucky you had these compartments." Luke remarked.

"I used them for smuggling," Han replied as he checked his surroundings. "I never thought I'd be smuggling myself in them." The smuggler cast an annoyed look towards Obi-Wan who emerged from the hidden compartment. "This is ridiculous. Even if I could take off I'd never get past the tractor beam."

"Leave that to me." Obi-Wan simply stated as he hoisted himself out.

"You fool," Han said in disbelief. "I knew you were going to say that."

"Who's the more foolish?" Obi-Wan asked with a smirk. "The fool? Or the fool who follows him?"

Han had no reply for the old man's philosophy.

"_He has a point,"_ Chewbacca growled, raising his head out from between Han and Luke.

Obi-Wan nodded to the Wookie and put the fake floor back over his hiding spot.

"They will likely send a scanning crew to perform a more minute search," Obi-Wan said, helping Luke out. "We should be ready to intercept them before they call for backup."

"I whole-heartedly agree." Han said, checking the munitions on his blaster.

"No blasters," Obi-Wan rebuked him. "We need to be discreet. Han, Chewbacca, think you can handle them?"

Chewie let out an affirmative growl and Han a dismissive salute.

Luke resisted the urge to say he wanted to help. He wanted to be useful but the biggest fights he'd ever been in were in the school yard when he was a kid.

"Luke and I will distract them and lead them to you," Obi-Wan said. "Be ready."

As Chewie and Han found a good spot to hide, Luke looked to Obi-Wan nervously.

"Ben don't you think it'd be better if you handled it?" Luke asked hesitantly. "You've got more experience. I don't want to put the others at risk."

"Luke, you must understand that we never choose when it is our time to act," Obi-Wan spoke kindly to the young man. "Do or do not. There is no try. A great man told me that once."

Luke nodded slowly. He was currently aboard an Imperial battle station. Smooth talking an officer was one thing, but he'd likely have to end up shooting at them. He had experience with a blaster but only on desert rodents, not human targets. _I'll cross that bridge when I get there_, Luke thought calmly.

"And besides," Obi-Wan added, putting on his hood, arching his back and holding weakly onto Luke's forearm. "I am but an old man."

Luke couldn't help smile at Ben's fake weak tone. He slowly guided them towards the boarding ramp where a pair of technicians with scanning equipment were entering.

"Halt," the senior officer called, his hand moving to his blaster. "Identify yourselves."

_Go Luke_, Obi-Wan urged through the Force.

"We're refugees," Luke blurted out reflexively. "We were sent to Alderaan where we were told we'd be safe but instead we were caught in a tractor beam."

"Are you alone?" the officer asked cautiously.

"Just me, my grandfather and my… brothers" Luke replied. "They are both terribly ill, they need medical attention. Can you help them?"

The officer's expression softened slightly. He took a step towards Luke.

"I'll take a look at them," the officer replied. "But your grandfather stays here. And no funny business."

"Yes sir." Luke said with a deep bow.

The boy led the senior officer towards Hand and Chewie, while the junior officer cautiously moved closer to Obi-Wan who kept his features concealed under his hood.

The young officer looked very tired with large bags under his eyes and red marks on his cheeks.

"You're awfully young to be working in the Imperial Army." Obi-Wan noted, surprising the young man.

"My father and all my brothers are in it," the young officer stated defensively. "We are from a long line of military men. It is my duty to serve."

"Ah yes, I see," Obi-Wan nodded slowly. "Would you help me sit down? My knees are quite weak."

The young officer felt uncomfortable since it was forbidden to sympathize or fraternize with unknown subjects. However, his empathetic nature won out over his adherence to protocol. And with everything he'd experienced over the last couple of hours, he'd grown tired of protocol.

The boy held on to Obi-Wan's forearm as the old Jedi led him away from the boarding ramp. They arrived in the room where Luke had practiced his saber skills. The junior officer led Obi-Wan over to a couch where he sat down.

"What is your name young man? If you don't mind my asking."

"I am Tuyin Reagyn," the boy replied, removing his cap and passing a hand through his hair.

"You seem somewhat troubled Tuyin," Obi-Wan remarked as he removed his hood, revealing his brilliant blue-grey eyes.

The boy paused for a moment, carefully observing the old man. He didn't think he was a threat but he also didn't like all the questions he was asking. However he couldn't keep the weight on his heart any longer. He had to share it, even if it was with a complete stranger.

"My three brothers were reported MIA on Tattooine earlier today," Tuyin revealed. "I'm worried that the worst may have happened. And added to that, we were made to watch as this battle station… destroyed Alderaan. Blew it up into chunks like it was nothing."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly at all this information, remembering the three Stormtroopers he'd spared on Tattooine. It was not a coincidence he would meet their brother here. The Force was telling him something.

"Tuyin, I hope you will not hate me for this…"

"What? –" the young boy asked confusedly before Obi-Wan swiftly hit him on the back of the neck, knocking him out.

The old Jedi dragged the boy's body over to Luke, Han and Chewbacca who were waiting with two unconscious Stormtroopers lying at their feet.

"What took you so long old man?" Han asked with a smirk. "Let's get these guys out of the way. Chewie, put them in the cargo hold."

The Wookie let out a frustrated growl before picking up the two engineers and dragging them towards the back of the ship just as R2-D2 and C3-PO arrived to join the others.

"You'd best put those on." Obi-Wan said, pointing at the Stormtroopers' armor.

"I hear ya." Han replied sarcastically as he and Luke started putting the armor over their regular clothes.

When Chewbacca returned after hiding the bodies, he saw two Stormtroopers standing next to Obi-Wan and the droids. The Wookie let out a thunderous roar and ran at full speed towards Han and Luke.

"Chewie stop!" Han shouted urgently, taking off his helmet as Luke did the same. "It's us."

Chewbacca grinded to a halt, looking at both of them in disbelief.

"_Is that supposed to be a joke?" _the Wookie growled sarcastically.

"In case you haven't noticed, right now we blend in much better than you." Han replied jokingly.

Chewbacca gave Han the equivalent of blowing a raspberry and picked up the two former Stormtroopers to hide them with the others.

"There should be a control booth nearby where R2 can access a control panel," Obi-Wan said. "I suggest that Han, Chewbacca, the droids and myself head out first before the officers start wondering about their missing troops. Luke, you divert their attention when they ask what's going on and join us once we've cleared the room."

Han wanted to protest taking orders from someone other than himself but he couldn't find a reasonable objection to the old man's plan. It was arguably the best approach.

"Fine. Let's get going," the smuggler relented. Seeing Chewbacca return, he gestured to him to follow. "Come on Chewie."

As Han, the Wookie and the droids made their way down the ramp of the ship, Obi-Wan hung back a little to watch Luke who nervously fidgeted with the Imperial blaster in his hand.

"You're nervous about having to use it." Obi-Wan said knowingly.

"I've never shot anyone before Ben," Luke explained with a saddened expression. "I try to tell myself it's different since they're Imperials but… well you saw that kid, he was even younger than me."

Obi-Wan nodded thoughtfully at the mention of Tuyin. He felt sad at seeing mere boys being indoctrinated into the Imperial Army.

"Luke you must understand that even I, after many, many years of reflection, have yet to know how to yield this power I have over life and death. The Jedi were never meant to become soldiers but… circumstances made it otherwise. Towards the end of the Jedi Order we were awarded the ranks of generals and given command of thousands of Clone troops. While our conscience may have been clear when we were fighting battle droids, it was another story entirely when fighting sentient opponents; not to mention the pain of losing our own men. I have no simple answer for you Luke, it is something you must find for yourself, but the fact you've taken notice of the fragility of life is another step of your training in the ways of the Force."

Luke nodded at Ben's explanation. In the end he likely wouldn't have time to ponder whether or not to use this blaster. It will be a spur of the moment decision and he knew that his actions now involved more than just himself.

"Thanks Ben," Luke replied. "I hope I'll do what's right in the end."

"In the end, that's all a Jedi must do." Obi-Wan said with a smile before moving down the boarding ramp and out of sight.

Luke waited awkwardly in the empty ship, double checking that the magazine on his rifle was full and the safety was off. He also checked the various compartments on the Stormtrooper's belt to see if there was anything useful. He found a comlink, extra ammunition, a small repair kit and a grappling hook. Luke made sure he was familiar with the placement of these items on his belt in case he needed them later.

Suddenly a voice blared in his ears, startling him and causing him to drop his blaster. "TK-421 why aren't you at your post?"

Luke didn't know what to say, he couldn't risk answering if the officer knew this particular Stormtrooper's voice. He opted to say nothing and try to play off a coms malfunction.

"TK-421 do you copy?" the officer asked again.

Luke walked down the ramp and glanced up to the command booth. He saw an officer in a black uniform peer out of the glass windows overlooking the hangar. Luke tapped the side of his helmet to indicated he had a problem with the coms in his helmet.

When the officer gave him a wave and backed away from the window, Luke heaved a sigh of relief and made his way to the command booth.

He arrived to find two Imperials lying on the ground after hearing a loud blaster shot. He didn't need to guess who had fired it. Luke quickly closed the doors behind him.

"You know between his howling and you blasting everything in sight, it's a wonder the whole station doesn't know we're here." Luke rebuked Han sharply.

"Bring 'em on," Han replied cockily. "I prefer a straight fight to all this sneaking around."

Just then, R2 let out a beep.

"We've found the computer outlet sir." C3-PO explained.

"Plug in," Obi-Wan said. "You should be able to interpret the entire Imperial network."

R2-D2 did just that and after a few seconds of sifting through data, released some happy chirps and beeps.

"He says he's found the main controls to the power beam that's keeping the ship here," 3PO translated. "He'll try to make the precise location appear on the monitor."

As he spoke, R2 flashed a series of diagrams of the Death Star's inner workings as 3PO provided commentary:

"The tractor beam is coupled to the main reactor in seven locations. A power loss at one of the terminals will allow the ship to leave."

Obi-Wan understood what needed to be done. He'd have to turn off the power to one of the reactors to avoid drawing Vader to Luke. If his attention was focused on Obi-Wan he was less likely to notice the Force presence of his own son.

"I don't think you boys can help," Obi-Wan said, looking to Han and Luke. "I must go alone."

"Whatever you say," Han replied with a disinterested tone. "I've done more than I've bargained for on this trip already."

As Obi-Wan reached the door, Luke approached him with a worried look.

"But I want to go with you."

"Be patient Luke. Stay and watch over the droids."

Luke tried to protest in but Obi-Wan needed to make sure the boy understood how important this was.

"They must be delivered safely or other star systems will suffer the same faith as Alderaan. Your destiny lies on a different path from mine."

Obi-Wan opened the door and checked that the coast was clear.

"The Force will be with you. Always." Obi-Wan said with a confident smile.

Obi-Wan departed down the corridor and quickly disappeared into the entrails of the Death Star.

* * *

As Han, Luke and Chewbacca rode the elevator up to the detention center, the young boy had to reflect on how he'd gone from doing maintenance on a pair of droids to helping break a princess out of an Imperial prison. They'd learned that the princess of Alderaan was being kept here and was scheduled for termination. In a spur of the moment decision, Luke had been able to convince Han to convince Chewie to let them take him prisoner so they could gain access to the detention level.

As the doors to the elevator opened, Luke's gut tightened as he knew that they would likely be unable to get to the princess's cell with words alone. A blaster fight may be their only option. _Or was it_, Luke wondered.

The officer behind the main console looked at the three of them critically as they entered with the towering Chewbacca between them.

"Where are you taking this… thing." the officer asked with contempt in his voice.

Luke cleared his mind and remembered how Obi-Wan had gotten them past the Stormtroopers in Mos Eisley. _The Force can have a strong impact on the weak minded_, he remembered Obi-Wan's words.

"Prisoner transfer from cell block 1-1-3-8," Luke said slowly, trying to somehow will his words to sound more convincing and enhance them with the Force.

He saw the officer put a hand to his forehead and regard them strangely. _Did it work?_ Luke wondered hopefully. The officer shook his head and gestured to his men.

"I'll have to clear it."

_Damn it_, Luke cursed.

The two men approached Chewbacca who freed one of his wrists from the restraints and delivered a fierce uppercut to the first man, knocking him out cold. After that, it was utter pandemonium.

Luke quickly pointed his blaster at the officer but missed by a few inches. As the man reached for his blaster, Luke fired a second shot that hit him square in the chest, killing him instantly. Luke didn't even have time to register it as he quickly aimed at the second soldier and shot him down as well. Luke then proceeded to destroy all the cameras and monitoring devices to avoid revealing their identities to the Empire just yet.

Han and Chewbacca finished off the last soldiers in the detention center and destroyed the remaining cameras. Han walked up to the console that kept the prisoner logs and started looking through them.

"We've got to find out which cell this princess of yours is in," Han said with a frustrated tone. "Here it is: 21-87. You go and get her, I'll hold them here."

Luke nodded and went down the line of cells, looking for the princess's as Han tried to delay the Imperials who'd heard the commotion they'd just made. After a couple seconds, Luke heard a blaster shot followed by Han's urgent shouting:

"Luke we're going to have company!"

The boy hurried up and finally found cell 21-87. He opened the door to reveal a beautiful young woman in a white dress and intricately braided hair lying on the bed of the detention cell.

Luke's mind grinded to a halt as he was awe struck by her beauty. He'd met girls on Tattooine and had dated a few but they all carried a physical and mental ruggedness that came from living in the harsh desert environment. This woman was lightyears away from any of the girls he'd met. She was a princess after all. Should he bow? Call her majesty? Was there some sort of decorum he had to follow? Although since Alderaan was destroyed she wasn't really princess—

"Aren't you a little short for a Stormtrooper?" Leia asked, snapping Luke out of his reverie.

"Huh?" Luke asked as he gathered his thoughts. "Oh, the uniform." He removed his helmet to reveal his ruffled blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. "I'm Luke Skywalker, I'm here to rescue you!"

"You're who?" Leia asked with a confused expression.

"I'm here to rescue you!" Luke repeated urgently. "I've got your R2 unit, I'm here with Ben Kenobi."

"Ben Kenobi? Where is he?" Leia asked, her eyes lightning up at the old Jedi's name.

"Come on." Luke said urgently.

He led them both out the cell, unaware of the danger that was rapidly approaching.

* * *

**AND… DONE! **

**Pretty happy with the length of this chapter, we're winding up to the big showdown between you know who and you know who ;) Damn I'm excited!**

**Please tell me your thoughts or if you have any comments, write me a, well, comment. Favorites and follows are also greatly appreciated. **

**May the Force be with you. Always.**


	5. The Power of the Force

**This is finally it! The chapter in which things start to diverge from what is currently cannon in Star Wars while still remaining familiar.**

**Comments, follows and favorites are all appreciated.**

**And in case it isn't obvious: I don't own Star Wars but I wish I did. I'm just borrowing these characters for unsafe play.**

As Obi-Wan turned down another empty corridor, he sensed a familiar presence reaching out to him through the Force. His old apprentice knew he was here and was challenging him to a duel.

Obi-Wan knew he could not escape it anymore. He needed to focus Vader's attention squarely on him so he'd completely ignore the less obvious but no less important Force signature that was also on the Death Star. Obi-Wan knew he couldn't kill his old apprentice and friend. All he could do was buy time and keep him distracted while Luke and the others got back to the Faulcon.

Obi-Wan removed his lightsaber from his belt and gripped it tightly in his hand. He sent a slight nudge to the Force to his fallen apprentice who immediately zeroed in on it and made his way towards him.

Obi-Wan did his best to hide his Force presence again. Before he could fight Vader, he needed to deactivate the tractor beam, or all of this would be for nothing.

* * *

Things were looking bad in the detention center. Stormtroopers had cut off Luke, Han, Leia and Chewbacca's escape route, leaving them trapped and fending for their lives.

"C3-PO! C3-PO!" Luke called urgently in his comlink. "Are there any other ways out of the cell bay? We've been cut off!"

"_All systems have been alerted to your presence, sir,"_ 3PO replied over the coms. "_The main entrance seems to be the only way in or out. All other information on your level is restricted._"

"There isn't any other way out!" Luke relayed to the others as they fired off blind shots towards the Stormtroopers.

"We can't hold them off forever. Now what?" Han cried out in exasperation as he fired another shot that hit a trooper square in the chest.

"Some rescue," Leia commented sarcastically. "You made it here! You got any plan for getting out?!"

_Wow she's bossy_, Luke noted to himself.

"Ease the brakes sweetheart!" Han yelled back at her less subtly.

"Will you both shut up!" Luke cut in, frustrated. "I'm trying to think of a plan."

_Well he's bossy,_ Han and Leia thought.

Luke looked carefully at his surroundings, trying to figure out a way to escape. _There has to be a way. Think! What would Ben do?_ Then it hit him. Luke grabbed his father's lightsaber off his belt and took his comlink in the other.

"3PO! What is right next to the detention center?" Luke asked over the coms.

"_There is a medical center adjacent to the detention center, sir_," C3-PO quickly replied. "_But there is no way to access it from here without going through the main way…"_

"Leave that to me," Luke replied with a smile before placing the comlink back on his belt. He turned to Han and Leia, handing the latter his blaster. "I need you both to cover me while I make our escape route."

"Are you nuts kid!?" Han asked, firing a perfect shot at an approaching Stormtrooper. "There IS no other escape route."

"Not yet, no. But soon," Luke said confidently, igniting the blue lightsaber and plunging it into the wall next to him. The blade went through like butter until it reached the hilt, after which Luke slowly started to move it to cut out a path.

"He's on to something," Leia said, placing herself between Luke and the Stormtroopers to cover him. She shot a glare at Han, who was looking at Luke with a dumbfounded expression. "Make yourself useful flyboy and keep those Stormtroopers away."

Han wanted to tell the princess that she should do it herself but under the circumstances he realized it wouldn't exactly be practical. Wordlessly, Han laid down suppressing fire as Luke continued to cut a hole through the wall of the detention center.

"I got it! I cut through!" Luke said excitedly. "Chewie! Can you give it a shove?"

Not needing to be asked twice, the Wookie ran right towards the cutout with a roar and pushed out a heavy slab of half-molten metal that fell to the floor with a heavy "thunk!".

"Everyone through!" Luke called out to the others.

Leia went first, then Chewbacca, then Luke and finally Han. Once they were all inside the medical center, Han held up a thermal detonator for everyone to see, a big smile plastered on his face.

"Fire in the hole!"

With that, the smuggler threw the primed explosive through the opening they'd just made as a squad of Stormtroopers came up on it.

It took a whole minute before another group dared to approach the opening, not willing to risk getting blown up like their former comrades. By then, the group of rebels had already escaped and disappeared into the maze that was the Death Star.

* * *

Obi-Wan was closing in on one of the seven couplers that linked the tractor beam to the main reactor. The terminal itself was precariously perched atop a deadly drop to the center of the Death Star. The only thing that separated Obi-Wan from certain death was a slim ledge that ran all around the terminal, barely wider than a person's foot.

Obi-Wan cautiously made his way over to the switches that controlled the power output from the main reactor and moved them until all the dials indicated zero. The tractor beam was now without power and the Faulcon would be able to take off without any worries.

Yet Obi-Wan didn't leave just yet. He waited, deep in thought, precariously perched over a deadly drop as he tried to figure out if there was more he could do… Then it hit him. Obi-Wan scoured the control panel until he found a terminal port. His hacking skills were a bit rusty since last he'd used them but he still remembered all the tricks his old Padawan had proudly shown to him over the years.

After a couple minutes, Obi-Wan had planted his ace in the hole that could come in use later. It was so deeply hidden in the Death Star's programming it would be next to impossible for someone to find intentionally.

_Now I just need to be around to put it into effect, _Obi-Wan reflected grimly.

Once this was done, Obi-Wan cautiously edged away from the terminal just as two patrolling Stormtroopers rounded a corner and stopped only a couple meters from where the old Jedi was hidden.

"Apparently we've got rebel scum onboard." one of the Stormtroopers noted with distain.

"Can't imagine they'll get very far," the other replied. "The entire garrison is on alert and they're only like… two."

"No they've got a Wookie with them. And they've freed the Alderaanian princess. Command thinks they're trying to rescue her."

"Sounds more like a suicide mission than a rescue. You think there are more of them on the station?"

"Probably. That's why we were told to keep an eye out for anything suspicious."

Obi-Wan had heard enough. The princess was free and Luke and the others would now be heading for the ship, which was now freed from its tractor beam. All that was left was to take care of the biggest threat on this station, even more dangerous than the station itself: Darth Vader.

Obi-Wan used the Force to make a noise that made the Stormtroopers turn and used the distraction to swiftly duck out of their line of sight.

"Probably nothing," one of the Stormtroopers commented. "Did you hear the rumors about a Jedi having resurfaced on Tattooine."

Obi-Wan stopped dead in his tracks. He leaned in to hear the rest of the conversation, curious to hear what the official reports were on his whereabouts.

"Yeah, I heard. I was on the investigation team and I'll tell you, I really hope those rumors are false. We had a whole squad that was decimated, couldn't even account for all the bodies, in front of an abandoned hut said to have housed the droids who were in position of the secret plans. We were able to find some tracts that led to Mos Eisley were we tracked down the group of rebels that boarded the ship we just pulled into the hangar."

"That's a fun coincidence. You were there when they escaped you and you get to be here when we capture them."

"Yeah keep your funny coincidences to yourself. We nearly stopped them as they boarded their ship but they pushed us back with only two men. One was an amazing shot with a blaster, but the other guy… He had this blue sword, looked like it was made out of pure energy. He hit back every shot we fired at him. Every bolt he just sent back right at us. We didn't stand a chance."

"That sounds a lot like what people say the Jedi used to wield. You think it was a Jedi?"

"I don't know, I don't care and if you were me, you'd pray this guy isn't part of the ones who almost overthrew the Old Republic and tried to kill the Emperor."

With that, the Stormtrooper stormed off, followed closely by his partner who wanted to know more about the mystery Jedi of Tattooine.

Obi-Wan stroked his beard as he reflected over what he'd heard. It had been reckless of him to display his lightsaber so prominently in front of Imperials. Tactically, it was best that his existence always remain uncertain in the eyes of the Empire. Not just for his safety and that of his allies, but also for all the Jedi who were still in hiding. The Emperor was extremely paranoid. If he caught wind of a Jedi Master having survived his purge, it wouldn't be farfetched to imagine he'd restart the Jedi hunt, putting those who had not yet been found in jeopardy.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Obi-Wan muttered to himself somberly.

Once he was sure the coast was clear, Obi-Wan made his way towards the hangar where the Faulcon was docked. Towards the looming, evil presence that was drawing closer.

* * *

Luke was anxiously leading the small group and Chewie was bringing up the rear. They had somehow escaped their pursuers and were diligently following C3-PO's directions to get back to the Millennium Faulcon. At least that's what Luke was trying to do, but it was hard to follow when the two who made up the middle of the pack were at each other's throats.

"Look princess the only orders I follow are my own," Han warned as he tried to get Leia to look at him, but she kept marching forward without sparing him a glance. "I certainly wouldn't listen to a high-bred, pompous, prissy and whiney aristocrat such as yourself."

Chewie gave Han a warning growl which Luke entirely agreed with because the look on Leia's face when she stopped and turned to Han was one of pure outrage, anger and disgust.

"Why you insufferable blockhead," the princess snapped back. "Let me remind you it was your moronic plan that landed us in this mess. If you'd had the foresight to actually come up with a strategy to get us out, we would already be safely off this infernal battle station."

Han couldn't fathom the fiery personality this woman was displaying. When Luke had said "princess", he'd expected a dainty and delicate girl who'd crumble in his arms, whom he'd have to carry to the Faulcon. Leia was nothing like that. She was beautiful without seeming to put much effort into looking pretty. Proud without being conceited. And had to be a vicious politician considering the strength of her temperament.

_Some girl…_ Han reflected silently.

The smuggler quickly snapped out of his reverie. It didn't matter if he was impressed, he wasn't going to let himself be stepped on by someone who had no idea what the harshness of the real world was like. He needed to end this…

"Look princess the reason we rescued you the way we did was because the kid insisted we do it," Hand said slyly, pointing a finger towards Luke who looked back at him with a warning in his eyes which Han ignored. "Luke, here, heard that you were being scheduled for termination so he hassled me and Chewie to come rescue you. I didn't even care, he only got me to come because he said you would make it worth my while. And Luke's the one who came up with both the plan to break you out and to get us out of that death trap. If you want to spite someone, he's your guy."

Han snuck a lopsided smirk at Luke who straightened his robes uncomfortably as Leia turned her gaze on him. Although to both his and Han's surprise, there was no violent rebuke. There was just silence as her brown eyes locked with Luke's blue ones and quickly broke away to look him over with a calculating gaze.

After a couple seconds of awkward silence, Leia stepped towards Luke, reached out a slim, manicured hand and gave him a sharp tap on his forehead.

"That was a foolish thing to do, rushing to rescue me without a plan," she said in a kind and gentle tone, completely different from how she'd spoken to Han a second ago. "But I do thank you for caring enough about my wellbeing to risk your life to save me. Unlike others…." she added, staring pointedly at Han who shrugged and pretended to check his gun's ammo.

Luke was completely speechless. He couldn't believe a princess, a member of royalty, was praising him with such geniality and sincerity. He felt a strange sort of connection with her in that moment. It reminded Luke of when he'd practiced lightsaber skills on the Faulcon and had had a moment of absolute clarity and calmness where he was able to sense the path of the remote. _Is the Force trying to tell me something?_ Luke wondered.

"I only did what I thought was right your highness," Luke replied shyly, unable to look her straight in the eye. "When someone is in trouble and you have the power to help them, it's your duty to do so."

Luke felt a hand on his shoulder and as he raised his head, the princess had the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen.

"My father taught me something similar Luke," she said. "If we get out of this alive, I'd like to personally ask you to join the Rebellion. You're quick-witted and good in a fight, but most importantly, your heart is in the right place."

Luke had to fight the redness he could feel spreading on his cheeks. He forced himself to hold the princess's gaze and steadied his voice.

"You honor me your highness," Luke replied with a slight bow. "I can't give you an answer just yet, I want to discuss it with my… master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. I value his opinion."

"You are fortunate to have met him," Leia said with a smile. "I have not seen him myself. All I've heard are stories and tales from my father. He was one of the greatest Jedi generals during the Clone Wars, nicknamed 'The Negotiator'. He mastered the art of diplomacy even more so than the art of war."

"I am incredibly grateful that he chose me to accompany him. You will get to see him soon your highness, he must be heading back to our ship."

"That's good. And please, enough with 'your highness'. Call me Leia."

Luke nodded with a smile and the two shared a moment of silence which was briefly interrupted by Han clearing his voice, followed by an exasperated whistle.

"All right love-birds, can we get back to escaping or do we want to wait for the Empire's maintenance crew to find us?"

Leia rolled her eyes and turned a disdainful eye towards Han.

"Don't worry Captain Solo, I know you are only too eager to be rid of my company. As am I."

With that, Leia stormed down the corridor, forcing everyone to run to catch up to her.

"You want to slow down your worshipfulness?" Han asked sardonically. "We have no idea what could be around… LOOK OUT!"

Han quickly pulled Leia back around the corner just as a barrage of laser fire impacted right where she'd been a second ago. Before she could blink, Leia was sandwiched between the wall and Han's chest as he fired off shots from around the corner.

Leia was beyond embarrassed. She'd let her guard down and had made a fool of herself in front of this man. She could feel she wouldn't hear the end of it from him. When Han finally pushed off of her, Leia was ready for his sharp-tongued critic, but it never came.

"Stay with Luke. I'll take care of this" Han whispered, a glint in his brown eyes that matched her own.

Before she could reply, Han ran around the corner with a crazed yell, firing wildly at the retreating Stormtroopers. Chewie quickly followed him, letting out a menacing growl. Luke and Leia watched in awe as the duo chased down the Stormtroopers and disappeared down a corridor, leaving only the sound of blaster fire and Wookie snarls.

"He certainly has courage." Leia muttered to Luke.

"What good does it do us if he gets himself killed," Luke said resignedly. "Come on."

Luke grabbed Leia's hand and they both ran in the opposite direction Han had taken off in, hoping his distraction would prevent them from running into any more Stormtroopers before they reached the hanger.

* * *

Obi-Wan knew the Faulcon was close. Unfortunately, he sensed his former apprentice was closer. Obi-Wan removed his lightsaber from his belt and cautiously started to make his way towards the familiar, yet somehow foreign, Force signature. He progressively lowered the shields around his Force presence to keep Vader's attention on him instead of on Luke and the others.

And finally, after being separated for nearly two decades, Obi-Wan came face to face with Darth Vader, his former apprentice. His black silhouette almost made him disappear against the walls of the Death Star. Obi-Wan found it hard to believe that this being in front of him had once been a scrappy boy with a strange haircut who loved pod racing. _What has become of us, indeed_, Obi-Wan lamented silently.

Obi-Wan refocused his mind on his foe who ignited his red lightsaber, the weapon of the Sith. The old Jedi ignited his own blue saber, holding it loosely in his hand instead of dropping immediately into a fighting stance. This would be a battle of minds, before a battle of strength.

While Obi-Wan had years of training over his former apprentice, he was unfortunately limited physically. Vader, while also no longer in his prime, was physically enhanced with bionics as well as being the Chosen One, which granted him unparalleled raw strength in combat. However, if studying under master Yoda for many years had taught him anything, it was that true strength did not come from the one who was most physically imposing.

Obi-Wan's advantage was who he was: Vader's former master, the one who'd made him who he was and the man he had to defeat to prove he was superior. Obi-Wan needed to use that to push his opponent to make a mistake.

"I've been waiting for you Obi-Wan," Vader said evenly, his voice a garbled cross between man and machine. "We meet again at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you I was but the learner, now I am the master."

Obi-Wan was heart-broken at hearing these words. That voice was unrecognizable from Anakin Skywalker's. Was his former apprentice truly gone? Was there nothing left of Darth Vader that could be saved? Obi-Wan silently pushed down his sorrow and regarded his opponent with a cold gaze.

"Only a master of evil Darth." Obi-Wan said coolly before swinging his lightsaber towards Vader's head which the Sith Lord blocked easily. He parried two more strikes from his former master before swiftly going on the offensive.

Obi-Wan was able to parry the next couple of strikes but only barely. Vader's cybernetic implants meant his swings carried much more force than those of an average human. Each time Obi-Wan blocked, he could feel the vibration from the blow travel up into his hands. He needed to give himself some space.

Obi-Wan side stepped one of Vader's swings which cut into the wall behind him and took several steps back to keep his enemy at bay with the end of his lightsaber.

"Your powers are weak old man." Vader taunted as he looked for an opening in Obi-Wan's defenses.

_Dear boy, your notion of power is frightfully limited,_ Obi-Wan thought regretfully.

"You can't win Darth," Obi-Wan replied calmly, keeping his eyes locked on the lenses of Vader's helmet. "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

When their swords clashed again, Obi-Wan could sense something was different. Vader was getting losing control. His strikes had lost some precision and were replaced with hate fueled haymakers.

Their blades crossed and they pushed against each other, trying to take their opponent off balance. Finally, Obi-Wan couldn't match Vader strength and deftly moved away, out of reach.

"You should not have come back." Vader said slowly, his rage clear in every word he spoke.

In the corner of his mind, Obi-Wan could sense that Luke and the others were almost at the ship. He needed to direct the fighting towards the hangar if he wanted a chance to make it out alive, or failing that, be able to assure the others escaped.

Making sure to keep Vader at a distance with his lightsaber, Obi-Wan started to progressively back up towards the Millennium Faulcon's hangar.

* * *

Luke and Leia met up with Han and Chewie only a couple feet away from the Faulcon. The smuggler and the Wookie looked seriously out of breath but it was something Luke couldn't comment on since he and Leia had experienced quite the chase themselves. _Good thing I checked where that grappling hook was_, Luke reflected silently.

Leia slid in next to Han who didn't spare them a glance, his eyes riveted on his prized ship.

"What kept you?" the smuggler asked.

"We ran into some old friends." Leia replied distractedly as she examined the ship they were supposed to escape on. Considering the nature of its captain she shouldn't have been surprised at the state of the vessel. It looked like a madman had designed it.

"Is the ship alright?" Luke asked, worried about Obi-Wan and if he'd make it back to the Faulcon all right. Although, their situation was equally precarious since there was a whole squad of Stormtroopers right in front of the ship's boarding ramp.

"Seems okay if we can get to it," Han muttered. "I just hope the old man got the tractor beam out of commission."

As Han finished his sentence, the group of Stormtroopers guarding the Faulcon all suddenly left their post at the same time, leaving the entrance to the Faulcon wide open.

"Now's our chance. GO!" Han urged.

Luke went first, followed by Leia, towards the Faulcon where they saw C3-PO and R2-D2 also making their way to the ship. Luke was about to climb the boarding ramp when out of the corner of his eye he saw where the squad of Stormtroopers had gone.

They had their guns tracked on two men who were locked in an intense lightsaber duel. One wasn't even really a man. He was a tall figure encased in dark armor with a flowing black cape and a sinister looking mask. His opponent however, Luke recognized. _BEN!_

Luke moved several steps, stopping before a large drop that was supposed to be for a cargo elevator. Several meters away, Luke could tell that Obi-Wan's chances looked grim. He had a cut on his shoulder that was leaking blood onto his brown cloak. Even if he somehow defeated his opponent, he still had the Stormtroopers to deal with. _What could he have planned?_ Luke wondered.

Suddenly, Obi-Wan's eyes crossed Luke's and a wave of relief passed over the old man's features, a slight smile appearing at his lips. Luke returned a small smile but it quickly turned to horror as Obi-Wan gave an imperceptible nod and held his lightsaber in front of him in a salute, leaving himself completely defenseless.

_No!_ _No Ben, don't do it. I need your help!_

_The Force will be you, Luke. Always._

Obi-Wan's voice echoed in Luke's head like he was right next to him and Luke felt something brewing in the pit of his stomach, like a volcano about to erupt. Luke saw the red lightsaber coming down towards Obi-Wan, moments away from delivering the killing blow and Luke was powerless to do anything…

"NOOOOOO!"

Luke's scream echoed across the hangar and his outstretched hand let out a violent Force wave that knocked the Stormtroopers to the ground and pushed Vader back several feet before he could brace himself.

For a couple seconds there was absolute silence, as the people still conscious tried to understand what had just happened, but in Obi-Wan's knew instantly. Luke had called upon his intimated connection to the Force which he'd received from his father, who was also starting to piece together what had happened.

Obi-Wan could sense Vader's hatred towards him grow even more for having disguised his own son from him but he could sense that hate was also partly directed towards the man who'd made him believe his children had died at birth.

Obi-Wan was the first to start moving again. He quickly ran to the other side of the blast doors from Vader, as the Sith Lord got to his feet. Obi-Wan locked eyes with his old apprentice and gave a slight nod.

"There IS still good in you, Anakin. May the Force be with you."

And with that, the old Jedi closed the blast doors between them and destroyed its control panel. He then quickly made his way towards Luke who met him at the base of the Faulcon and wrapped him in a tight hug.

"I thought you were gone." Luke said, relieved.

"Yes, well, it seems the Force has willed it otherwise." Obi-Wan replied, observing Luke with a knowing smile.

"Hey old man!" Han's voice echoed from inside the ship. "Why don't you save the heartfelt get together for after we've escaped the Empire."

Both Luke and Obi-Wan smiled at Han's antiques and made their way inside the Millennium Faulcon.

A couple seconds later, they were back in the large expanse of space, the Death Star getting progressively smaller behind them.


	6. The Light Rises

**INTRODUCING THE LATEST CHAPTER OF OBI-WAN AND EVERYONE ELSE'S ADVENTURE!**

**In this chapter I start to mess around my the cannon timelines but I feel it's necessary to get some awesome character interactions.**

**Anyways, that's about all I need to say. Enjoy the chapter and don't forget to favorite, comment and follow.**

Obi-Wan leaned on Luke's shoulder as the boy led him through the ship and into the large common room where he'd first practiced his lightsaber skills.

After sitting down, Obi-Wan let the tenseness in muscles and the turbulence in his mind slowly dissipate. That fight had been extremely draining but Obi-Wan had good stamina from his continued training on Tattooine; he'd recover quickly. The more pressing matter was the wound on his shoulder which Luke was already on top of.

"I'll go ask Han for the first aid kit," he said. "Try not to move, Ben. I'll be right back."

Obi-Wan gave an appreciative smile as Luke left the room. The old Jedi shifted himself into a cross legged positon and began to meditate. He could sense all the life forms onboard the ship, even the one approaching him while he had his eyes closed.

"I am glad to see you are safe, princess Leia." Obi-Wan said, startling the young woman.

Obi-Wan opened his eyes and looked at Leia for the first time in nearly twenty years. He immediately spotted the similarities between her and Padme. The same hair and eye color. The profile of their faces shared many similarities but Obi-Wan knew it was their spirits that most resembled each other. They shared an indomitable will that made them natural born leaders and a strong sense of empathy that made them love and admired by all.

As Obi-Wan silently observed the princess, the latter avoided his gaze, fidgeting nervously with her hands. Obi-Wan gestured towards a chair next to him.

"Please sit, your highness. I'm sure whatever is troubling you can be said at eye level."

Leia snapped out of her awkward ticks, and quickly sat where Obi-Wan indicated, doing her best to look the Jedi master in the eye.

"I wanted to thank you, general Kenobi, for answering my call. I also want to apologize for having sent it. I compromised your location and put you and others in dangers on my account. I don't know how to— "

"You have nothing to apologize for, your highness," Obi-Wan interrupted. "Despite my lackluster appearance, I am still a Jedi. As such, it is my duty to help those in need. Now, I simply wish to return to Tattooine and not draw any more attention to myself or other Jedi that are still in hiding."

"I fear it may not be so easy, general Kenobi," Leia said, her eyes lowered. "When it becomes known that a Jedi master who sat on the High Council survived the Purge it won't take long for Rebel command to use it as propaganda to attract more volunteers."

"Yes, and subsequently reignite the Emperor's will to eradicate the Jedi once and for all." Obi-Wan stated somberly.

They both stayed a couple seconds in silence, until Luke returned with the med kit.

"Sorry, Ben. For some reason Han doesn't have any bacta and is lacking some pretty basic first aid material," Luke said, trying to restrain his exasperation towards the stingy smuggler. "So we're going to have to do this the old, old, old way."

"That sounds about right for me." said Obi-Wan with a good-natured chuckle.

"Here, let me do it, Luke." Leia said, holding her hand out for the needle and thread.

Luke looked at her uncertainly.

"Are you sure prince – I mean, Leia. Have you ever…"

"Have YOU?" the princess retorted with a devilish smirk.

"Well… no." Luke admitted.

"I was a nurse in a field hospital when I was young," she said, snatching the needle and thread out of Luke's hand and coming to sit next to Obi-Wan. "It's just like riding a speeder."

"THAT I guarantee I'm much better at than you." Luke shot back with a cocky grin.

"If it matches your skills for coming up with an escape plan, it's a miracle you're still alive." the princess fired back, leaving Luke stumped for a comeback and forced to sit down in a sulk.

Obi-Wan tried to hide his smile at seeing their bickering. He was sure he'd never see both siblings finally reunited, but he was glad to still be alive to see it. But Obi-Wan also worried about the day they would both find out the truth.

_At least for now, the secret must remain._ the old Jedi reflected.

Obi-Wan removed his top robes, revealing the many scars covering the toned and well defined muscles. Leia was sensible enough to distract herself with prepping the surgery tools but Luke stared at Obi-Wan's physique like he'd just discovered a closely guarded secret.

"Luke, stop staring. It's rude." Leia said without looking at him or Obi-Wan.

Luke quickly averted his gaze and proceeded to examine his father's lightsaber closely. Likely wondering how all the internal components worked.

Obi-Wan kept a smile off his face and focused on his meditation as Leia slipped the needle in and out of his flesh. Within a couple minutes, the wound was sewn shut and a clean compress was applied over it. Thanks to the Force, Obi-Wan had barely felt a thing.

"You'll need to avoid any strenuous movement until we can get some bacta on it at Yavin base." Leia said as she rinsed her hands of Obi-Wan's blood.

"Thank you, your highness." Obi-Wan said, gratefully.

Before Leia could tell him to stop calling her 'your highness', Han ran into the room and stopped when he saw the scene that was unfolding.

"Wow, old man. You've got guns." Han noted with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Is there a problem, Han?" Obi-Wan asked, slipping his robes back on.

"You can say that again," the smuggler said with an annoyed tone. "We've got fighters closing in. Luke, I need you to man the second turret. Old man, you go in the cockpit, help Chewie keep the ship level."

"Watch your tongue, Captain," Leia snapped, catching Han off-guard. "Obi-Wan Kenobi was and still is a Jedi general, one the most powerful and respected of his generation. From now on you will address him as general Kenobi, or as Obi-Wan if he permits it. Certainly do not call him 'old man' ever again. Clear?"

Once again, Han cursed himself that she had the ability to make him forget how to talk so easily. Han tried to fire back but Leia wasn't done.

"Also, he's injured. He's in no position to move around right now. I'll go in the cockpit, you boys man the guns."

And with that, Leia departed towards the cockpit while Han and Luke looked at each other dumbfounded. They looked to Obi-Wan for his opinion, but the Jedi had already returned to his meditation.

As Han and Luke went to man their posts, a small smile spread on Obi-Wan's face.

_Oh, how I've missed this_.

* * *

Luckily for Obi-Wan and the others, the Empire had only been able to dispatch four TIE-fighters to pursue them. After a tense couple minutes, Han and Luke were able to destroy their pursuers and the Millennium Faulcon made its jump to light speed.

After a half-hour of flight, during which Obi-Wan was able to fully recuperate from his fight with Vader, the Millennium Faulcon reemerged from hyperspace over the planet Yavin, the location of the Rebel Base. The constant thorn in the Empire's side.

As Leia showed Han where to land and made sure that Rebel command didn't shoot them out of the sky, Obi-Wan sensed familiar Force presences on the planet. They were presences he hadn't felt in a long time. Some from the Clone Wars, others more recent.

_Could it be…_, Obi-Wan quickly stamped out his anxiety. Whoever it was, he would meet them soon.

Once Rebel Command had confirmed the Millennium Faulcon wasn't hostile and that princess Leia was onboard, they gave the ship a docking bay where it could land.

While everyone gathered their things and prepared to disembark, Obi-Wan made his way to the holding bay where their four Imperial prisoners were. They all glared at him as he entered their makeshift cell.

"We've arrived," Obi-Wan announced. "If you'll follow me, the Rebel Alliance will take you into custody."

"We won't reveal a thing, Rebel scum." one of the Stormtroopers spat out.

"He's no rebel," Tuyin Reagyn, the boy Obi-Wan had talked to, said in a low voice. "He's a Jedi. He's the one who annihilated the squad on Tattooine. He killed my brothers."

The other Imperials looked at Obi-Wan in disbelief which was quickly replaced by even stronger hatred towards him. Obi-Wan knew better than to feed their resentment and simply gestured towards the door.

"Shall we?" he asked.

Begrudgingly, the soldiers exited the holding bay, single file. The four of them and Obi-Wan joined Luke and the other others at the top of the boarding ramp.

Obi-Wan moved closer to Han, gesturing to the Imperials behind him.

"I believe the capture of any Imperial troops is rewarded by the Rebel Alliance," Obi-Wan whispered to Han in a conspiring tone. "They're all yours."

Han looked at Obi-Wan strangely for a second, before pointing his blaster at the prisoners to have them pass before him.

"Very generous of you old m—" Han caught himself reflexively. "I mean… general Kenobi."

"Don't mention it, Han," the old Jedi said with a smile. "And please, it's Obi-Wan."

Once the boarding ramp was fully extended, the prisoners and Han went out first, followed by Chewie, Luke and Leia. Obi-Wan waited a couple seconds before exiting the ship.

The Jedi master was impressed with the set up the Rebels had going. They were using an old temple as their base, which offered many escape routes in case of an evacuation. The jungle and fog surrounding them offered plenty of natural cover. It was as perfect a location for a secret base as one could imagine.

There was a small delegation to greet them. Obi-Wan recognized some prominent members of the Rebel Alliance he'd seen on Imperial wanted posters, such as Mon Mothma and Jan Dodonna.

When Leia stepped forward, Mon Mothma stepped forward and wrapped her in a strong embrace.

"It's so good to see you safe, Leia." she said, like a mother to her child.

"When we heard about Alderaan we feared the worse." Jan Dodonna added.

"These men helped me escape," Leia said, gesturing to Luke and the others. "They… intercepted a distress signal I'd sent and mounted a rescue mission."

The leaders of the Rebel Alliance looked at the group skeptically, their eyes moving from the tall Wookie to the old man with a hood hiding his eyes. They couldn't quite believe it but knew the princess wouldn't lie about such a thing.

"This young man is Luke Skywalker," Leia said, gesturing to Luke who bowed nervously to Mon Mothma and the others. "He's a capable fighter and a very sharps mind for solving problems. He'd be a priceless addition to the Rebel Army if he accepts to join us."

Leia then gestured to Han and Chewie:

"This is captain Han Solo and his first mate Chewbacca. They provided their ship for the rescue mission and were… instrumental in our successful escape. We will pay them fifteen thousand credits and extend a proposition to join us if they so desire."

Cries of outrage erupted from some of the Rebel Leaders. Han seemed to enjoy every second of it, moving forward with his four prisoners.

"You may want to add to the fifteen whatever you boys charge for capturing Imperial soldiers. These guys put up quite a fight. It wasn't easy to capture them alive."

The Rebel leaders looked at the prisoners with a critical eye before gesturing for some soldiers to take them away.

As they were being led away, a chorus of voices caught everyone's attention:

"Tuyin? Is that you little brother?"

"Is that him?"

Obi-Wan recognized the voices before he saw the three men he had spared on Tattooine approaching the group of Imperial prisoners. Everyone observed the scene and watched as the three brothers, who were now dressed as soldiers of the Rebellion, fiercely hugged Tuyin who still had his handcuffs on.

"We thought we'd never see you again. Thank God you're safe." the oldest brother sobbed, looking over Tuyin who stared back at them in disbelief.

"Brann, Koris, Jake… you're alive?" Tuyin asked, his eyes tearing up.

"We were saved, little brother," said Koris, the second oldest, wrapping an arm around his brother. "A Jedi Master spared our lives and gave us credits to escape off Tattooine."

"But we decided to stay," Jake, the second youngest, added. "After asking around the cantinas we were able to find a Rebel Pilot who accepted our enlistment."

Tuyin was at a loss for words. His gaze shifted to each of his older brothers who all smiled brightly. He'd never seen them like this when they'd fought for the Empire. They'd carry these long, beaten faces when they returned from deployment but always tried to smile or crack a joke when their youngest brother was around.

Tuyin looked back towards Obi-Wan, who hid his face deeper in the shadows of his cloak.

"It was you…" Tuyin whispered. "You saved them."

"What are you mumbling about?" Brann asked, following Tuyin's gaze.

He froze. As did Koris and Jake when they saw the familiar cloaked figure. Within seconds, the three older brothers were on their knees, dragging Tuyin down with them, bowing at Obi-Wan's feet.

"Master Jedi!" Brann exclaimed so loud people started to come on the landing pad to see what all the commotion was about. "Thank you for saving our little brother. It was a miracle what you did for us on Tattooine and now you've reunited our family. You are an angel, master Jedi. We will lay down our lives for you and swear eternal fealty— "

"—That isn't necessary, Brann," Obi-Wan cut him off. Inhaling sharply, Obi-Wan removed his cloak, revealing his sparkling eyes and kind face. "Rise, all of you. I do not need your fealty. Fight for what you believe in and for each other, that is enough."

The four brothers got to their feet. Brann gave a low bow, which the others emulated, before following Tuyin and the Rebel soldiers, who were taking him to be questioned.

Once the four brothers had left, Obi-Wan turned his attention back to the Rebel High Command who was staring at him. Obi-Wan also noticed some of the Rebel pilots and soldiers whispering amongst themselves. _How did it come to this?_ Obi-Wan asked himself.

Obi-Wan locked eyes with the only familiar face in the Rebel High Command: Mon Mothma. She'd been a strong ally to both Padme Amidala and Bale Organa in the Galactic Senate. Obi-Wan had only briefly interacted with her and she'd reminded him a lot of Padme and Leia. Determined, strong-willed and a steady presence when things got hectic.

Mon Mothma observed Obi-Wan's face closely. She recognized the eyes, the smile, the distinct accent she'd heard from the younger Obi-Wan when they'd met. A small tear rolled down her cheek as she walked up to Obi-Wan and wrapped him in a strong embrace.

Obi-Wan responded in kind, both ignoring everyone around them who were staring in shock and outrage. Seeing a familiar face from before the Emperor's regime of terror was a profound relief for them.

After a couple seconds, they broke apart. Mon Mothma paused for a second before turning to the incredulous leaders of the Rebel Alliance.

"I believe we should go somewhere we can talk privately."

As everyone moved inside the base, Han leaned over to Luke and whispered:

"Kenobi's got some game."

* * *

The group had moved to an empty conference room where they would get much more privacy than on the landing pad.

The only addition to the already present Rebel Leaders was Admiral Ackbar who'd just returned from an assignment. The leaders all sat at a crescent shaped table, while Luke, Han and Chewbacca sat in front of them. Obi-Wan hung back near the door to the room.

The first matter up for discussion, per Han's request, was the smuggler's reward for getting princess Leia and the Death Star plans safely to the Rebellion. While many of the Rebel leaders were outraged by Han's insistence on claiming a reward at such a desperate hour, Mon Mothma conceded to Han's demands and gave him the reward as well as the money for the four captures Imperials. She even extended an offer for him to join the Rebellion in the upcoming battle.

"I appreciate the offer but with or without the Empire, the price on my head will stand." Han's response garnered an understanding nod from Mon Mothma and Obi-wan while everyone else cursed Han's decision for various reasons.

Once Han and Chewie had left the room to prep the Faulcon for departure, Mon Motham quickly brought up the four brothers who had escaped the Empire. She did this mainly to reassure Obi-Wan whom she could tell was concerned for their future. The three oldest brothers were already Rebel Infantrymen and the youngest would be offered a post as a technician once he'd been interrogated and vetted by Rebel Intelligence.

As Mon Mothma got ready to move on to the last topic, Leia stood up from her chair, causing everyone to turn towards her.

"I'd like to propose the instigation of someone else into the Army of the Rebellion."

Everyone looked to Mon Mothma who nodded for her to continue.

"I say, without hyperbole, that without the courage and resourcefulness of one man, I would most likely be dead and the Death Star plans would have fallen back into the Empire's hands," she said as everyone watched her move around the table. "I believe that this man would make a fine addition as a pilot in the Rebel fleet: Luke Skywalker!"

She pointed to Luke who sat up and bowed to the room who mostly regarded him with uncertainty and skepticism.

Mon Mothma immediately locked eyes with Obi-Wan who nodded slightly at her silent question. She'd met Anakin Skywalker when he was tasked with guarding Senator Amidala a long time ago. She was part of the few people who knew what Anakin had become following Order 66.

She crossed eyes with Admiral Gial Ackbar who'd fought alongside Skywalker to liberate his home planet of Mon Cala during the Clone Wars. He knew better than to bring it up and stayed silent as Jan Dodonna got up to speak.

"Princess Leia, long be it for me to criticize your judgement," Jan Dodonna said in a measured tone. "But it takes several months before someone can be considered for a pilot post. Those ships are expensive and…"

"I see you still value economics over ability, Dodonna." Ackbar commented, looking at the old man with slight scorn.

"Don't patronize me, Ackbar," Dodonna shot back at the Mon Calamari. "I simply need to know if this boy can be trusted…"

"I trust him."

Obi-Wan's voice shifted the attention of the whole room on him. The Jedi's grey blue eyes stood out against the shadows he was draped in. His voice commanded such a presence that not a single one of the seasoned Rebel Leaders dared speak before Obi-Wan.

"He is one of the finest pilots I have seen in all my years of combat," the Jedi master continued. "He is brave, a fast thinker, knows how to improvise and possesses a strong moral compass. You'd be foolish not to accept him as a pilot."

A heavy silence filled the room. The Rebel leaders were unsure how to push back on Obi-Wan's glowing praise of Luke who was feeling even more anxious with these extra commendations. Mon Mothma and Ackbar both exchanged a knowing smile.

"I support princess Leia's proposition," Ackbar said, gesturing to her with his webbed hand. "Anyone who would refute a Jedi General and Master as a judge character should have their head examined I say."

Most of the High Command scowled at Ackbar's phrasing. Mon Mothma didn't give any of them a chance to protest.

"I also agree with princess Leia," she said. "We would be fools to pass up such a clearly gifted young man. If that means waving 'ancestral' Alliance protocol to accept him as a pilot, so be it. I elect to induct Luke Skywalker into the Rebel Army and give him the rank of pilot."

"Seconded." Ackbar chipped in.

The insane ping-pong action that had just taken place left most of the room speechless. In less than a minute, Mothma and Ackbar had turned the possibility of Luke becoming a pilot into a certainty.

And as such, no one contested it. The Rebel leaders all nodded or grunted in consent, and so Luke was now a member of the Rebel Alliance and their newest X-Wing pilot.

"Pilot Skywalker," Mon Mothma said to Luke who snapped to attention. "Please follow princess Leia, she will show you to your squad commander and get you familiar with how we operate. Welcome to the Rebel Alliance. May the Force be with you."

"Thank you, m'am." Luke said with a stiff bow, which he then unnecessarily topped with a clumsy salute. Leia quickly dragged him out of the room before he made the situation any more awkward.

Once they were both gone and everyone was seated again, Mon Mothma cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.

"There is one more item we need to address today," she said. "That is Jedi General Kenobi's role, if any, in the Rebel Alliance. Let us first hear what he wishes to do."

Everyone around the table nodded, turning their eyes towards Obi-Wan. The old man moved into the light and took a seat in front of the Rebel leaders.

"My wish it to join the Rebel Alliance, but only as an adviser. Not as a fighter, and certainly not as a Jedi," these words created whispers around the room which quickly fizzled out as Obi-Wan continued. "There are many Jedi scattered across the galaxy who are hiding from the Empire, much like I was. Their survival depends on complete anonymity and discression. If it becomes widely known that a former Jedi Master is fighting for the Rebel Alliance, it will push the Emperor to start another Purge and put all surviving Jedi at risk. I cannot, in good conscience, allow that to happen."

Silence weighed on the room for several seconds as everyone exchanged worried looks, even Mon Mothma and Admiral Ackbar.

It was Mon Mothma who finally broke the silence.

"Obi-Wan, we understand your position and if you wish to go through with it we'll respect it but I'd like you to realize the power that your image conveys. Despite the Empire's efforts to paint the Jedi as corrupt and evil, their memory carries on untarnished as symbols of peace and justice. Having you as one of our leaders and fighters would likely rally many systems to our cause within a couple days. Your name carries power, Obi-Wan, and with it, we can use it as a first step towards taking back the galaxy from the Empire."

Obi-Wan thought over Mon Mothma's words. Due to being isolated so long on a desert planet, he'd never really thought about how the Jedi were perceived by people across the galaxy. Although he couldn't deny what'd he'd seen over the past couple days had shown him that the Jedi were still revered and mystified by many.

"And as for surviving Jedi, what best way to insure their safety then by showing them that a master has decided to rise up and fight," Admiral Ackbar joined in. "It would give them the courage to come out of exile and fight alongside the Rebel Alliance. And do not worry, once we launch our REAL attack on the Empire, they won't have time to worry about hunting down surviving Jedi. In fact, some of them have already joined our ranks as part of a special squad.

Obi-Wan stared at Ackbar, completely caught off-guard.

"What?"

Just as he said that word, the doors to the conference room hissed open and in entered a diverse cast of characters.

At its head, a beautiful female Twi'lek with jade coloured skin and eyes. Either side of her was a tough looking purple Lasat and a young female dressed in colourful Mandalorian armor. Behind them was a tall man with a visor covering his eyes and at his side, a young boy whom Obi-Wan had met before.

"Ezra Bridger." Obi-Wan said with a smile.

The boy looked different from when Obi-Wan last saw him. His hair was cut short and his eyes projected a new-found confidence and experience. Obi-Wan could sense that his Force presence was much calmer and more under his control.

"We will all gladly fight by your side, General Kenobi." a familiar yet older voice spoke from behind the group.

"Us and all other Jedi." a distinct female voice said, which Obi-Wan recognized immediately.

A female Togruta with distinct orange skin and white markings alongside a bearded man in Clone armor with blue markings emerged from behind the group.

"Ahsoka? Rex?" Obi-Wan asked, tears welling in his eyes.

"Yes, master. It's good to see you again." Ahsoka replied, a tear rolling down her cheek.

**And there we go!**

**What did you think? Like how I played around with the cannon to make those interactions happen? Did you like Star Wars Rebels and are excited for the new season of Clone Wars or are you a heartless bastard? ;)**

**As always favorite, comment and follow if you enjoy. Helps me out a lot.**


	7. Strike Back

ANOTHER CHAPTER! IT'S LATE. I NEED TO SLEEP NOW. I'M SOOOOO SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG TO UPDATE, MY SUMMER JOB TAKES UP A LOT OF TIME, BOTH PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY.

HOPE YOU ENJOY HOW I START TO PLAY A BIT WITH THE CHARACTER OF OBI-WAN. I CAN ALREADY TELL IT WON'T BE FOR EVERYONE BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO PORTRAY HIM AS BEST I SEE HIM IN THE MOVIES AND TV SERIES

PLEASE COMMENT, FAVORITE AND FOLLOW, IT MEANS A LOT TO ME.

* * *

Obi-Wan couldn't believe his eyes. Ashoka and Rex were alive, and the three of them were sitting on supply crates in the Rebel Alliance's secret base while everyone around them prepared for the upcoming attack on the Death-Star. Obi-Wan had been quickly introduced to the Ghost's crew before they all left to prep their ship. They'd offered that Obi-Wan fly with them for the upcoming battle, which he'd eagerly accepted. He would need their help for an important plan he wanted to pull off.

But for now, he needed reconnect with two of his closest friends from the days before the Empire. Obi-Wan wouldn't correct anyone who called Rex and Ashoka his family. In his eyes they were like his brother and sister.

"I still can't believe you're both here," Obi-Wan said, grasping Rex and Ashoka's hand, as if to make sure he wasn't dreaming. In a different age such a gesture would have been considered overly sentimental, but today, it felt prefect. "How did you both end up here?"

Rex turned to Ashoka, a smile visible under his thick beard.

"You want to tell it?" the Clone Captain asked.

"Sure," Ashoka replied with a small smile, leaning forward, bringing her knees up under her chin as she did her best to recall their painful past. "After I left the Temple, I spent some time working as a bounty hunter. Delivering supplies, bringing back escaped criminals, etc.… When Order 66 was issued, I was helping a relief mission on Florum alongside a Jedi Knight and his Padawan. Rex was there too, leading a company of the 501st. By then he'd removed the inhibitor chip that forced Clone Troopers to enact Order 66."

"That blasted chip was the spark that burned down the Old Republic and the Jedi Order," Obi-Wan murmured, thinking back to when the plot had first been unearthed, only to be smothered out by Palpatine. "It was right under our noses, yet we were powerless to stop it."

"With all due respect, General Kenobi," Rex interrupted. The old Clone's eyes still held an intensity that Obi-Wan had always admired and felt was very unique among Clones. "You had no way of knowing. It was only a suspicion but I couldn't ignore what I'd seen. Myself and Commanders Gregor and Wolffe removed our chips before the order was issued. When my brothers murdered the Jedi knight and his Padawan, I knew I had to keep Ashoka safe. The battle was tough, but we eventually escaped and went into hiding. She went her own way while I rejoined Gregor and Wolffe on Seelos. Later, through our mutual connections with the Spectre cell, we reconnected and now here we are."

Obi-Wan mulled over all this new information. The memory of what he'd felt through the Force when Order 66 was carried out still gave him sleepless nights. All those familiar presences disappearing one by one; murdered by those they trusted the most. Obi-Wan's own Clone Commander and friend, Cody, ordering his troops to fire at him on Utapau. Those memories still haunted him.

"I'm glad to see you both safe," Obi-Wan said, trying to show on a strong face. "It reminds me of… a different time."

A painful silence fell over the group for several seconds before Ashoka spoke up:

"That time is not over, Master. With you at our side, you can help lead the Rebellion to victory and train the new generation of Jedi. My training could definitely use some polish, as could Kanan's, not to mention Ezra is still basically a Padawan. We can still restore balance to the Force and save Anakin from the Emperor's grip."

Obi-Wan chest welled up with pride at seeing Ashoka's confidence and determination. That was always one of her most endearing quality which she'd obviously inherited from her Master: staying strong even when facing near-impossible odds.

Even so, Obi-Wan couldn't shake the feeling that the young Togruta's hopes were misplaced.

"I've fought him, Ashoka," Obi-Wan said, his tone low. "On the Death Star, I dueled him. He knows about Luke. He knows I hid him from him all this time. He feels betrayed. I fear I may have irreversibly pushed him over the edge."

"I've served alongside general Skywalker for many years, sir," Rex said. "I can't believe he's all gone. A part of him must still want to do the righ thing."

"I pray you're right Rex. More than anything, I pray you're right." Obi-Wan said as he stood up to stretch his limbs.

_No need to dwell on this matter any longer,_ he thought. _If the Force wills it to be, then it will be so._

Out of the corner of his eye, Obi-Wan spotted Luke jogging towards them. He was dressed in full pilot gear, a flight helmet under his arm and an ear-to-ear smile on his face.

"Here comes Luke," Obi-Wan said with a smirk. "I haven't told him the whole truth about Anakin. I said he was murdered by a Jedi named Darth Vador. It's too soon for him to know the truth."

Ashoka and Rex both nodded.

"Ben! Ben!" Luke said as he reached his side, barely able to keep two feet on the ground. "I just got assigned to my squad and met an old friend from Tattooine, Biggs. I can't believe this is happening. We're finally taking the fight to the Empire. Are these your friends?"

Ashoka reached out her hand, which Luke shook.

"I… worked alongside your father," she explained, discreetly picking up all the similarities between Luke and Anakin. She had to make sure not to compulsively wrap Luke in a hug. "He was my master, taught me everything I know. When he was killed, I felt… lost. It's a pleasure to meet you, Luke. I'm Ashoka."

"Pleased to meet you too, Ashoka." Luke replied, moving to shake Rex's hand.

"I fought under you father during the Clone Wars," Rex said. "Followed him into more battles than I can count and we always managed to come out on top. I'm Rex. Good to meet you, Luke."

Luke shook his hand, but his expression was dubious.

"That's Clone armor, right?" Luke said, pointing out Rex's battered blue and white breast plate. "Didn't the Clones murder all the Jedi."

Ashoka and Obi-Wan exchanged a worried look but Rex stayed unflinching as he stared back at Luke.

"That's right. Us Clones were implanted with neural chips that could hijack our brains and make us act against our will. Myself and a couple of other Clones were able to remove our chips before Order 66 was given."

To punctuate his point, Rex parted his hair to reveal the long scar that ran along the top of his skull. Luke nodded and bowed apologetically.

"I'm sorry Rex. I meant no disrespect," the young man said. "Will the three of you be joining the attack?"

"We will," Obi-Wan said, leading the group towards the flight hangar. "I've managed to find a ship that's willing to make room for an old relic like myself. We'll be right alongside you to lend a hand when you begin your attack."

"I wish Han had stayed," Luke admitted, his eyes fixed to the ground. "I feel like he's betraying us by leaving right before the fight."

Obi-Wan smiled, laying a comforting hand on Luke's shoulder.

"Do no judge Han too harshly," Obi-Wan said. "When you most need him, he'll answer present."

Luke was about to enquire how he could say that before a command over the loud speaker told all pilots to join their fighters. They were taking off in five minutes.

"Best get going, Luke," Obi-Wan said, giving him a final pat on the back. "May the Force be with you."

"Thanks Ben, you too," Luke replied. "Rex, Ashoka, may the Force be with you."

The two friends both nodded and watched the young man run towards his fighter.

"Master Yoda would be proud." Ashoka whispered in Obi-Wan's ear.

"He never liked my choices of Padawan." Obi-Wan said with a smirk.

"We'd best get to the Ghost, General," Rex said. "Wouldn't want them to start the party without us.

"You're right. It would be impolite to keep the Empire waiting," Obi-Wan chuckled at the old Clone's enthusiasm. "And Rex, please stop calling me General."

* * *

They were approaching the Death Star. All the X-Wings were in attack formation and the Y-Wings were getting ready to start their bombing run.

However, Obi-Wan wasn't concerned with that for now. He and the Ghost crew had another very important assignment he'd discussed with Mon Mothma when they were leaving Yavin base.

"So, General," Rex asked, emphasizing the last word and smirking when it drew a sigh from Obi-Wan. "Are you going to share this secret plan of yours with us or do we have to beg?"

Obi-Wan smiled, casting his gaze around the room where the whole Ghost crew, Ashoka, Rex and himself were crammed. Obi-Wan's plan was a very selfish one. He knew that all too well, but he had a duty as a Jedi to preserve life, whether it was Rebel or Imperial.

Everyone present seemed to be on separate trains of thought. Kanan and Ezra both seemed nervous and intimidated by Obi-Wan's presence. The old Master hoped to talk to them later to hopefully clear the air hear their stories of how they came to be here.

Sabine and Zeb, who sat in the back, were seemingly trying to decide what to make of the unassuming Jedi Master. Meanwhile, the captain of the Ghost, Hera Syndulla was waiting intently on Obi-Wan's plan. Her long green lekku brought Obi-Wan back to the retaking of Ryloth during the Clone Wars and the barbary the Separatists had inflicted on the Twi'leks. Based off her name, Obi-Wan assumed she was related to the Resistance fighter Chan Sindula alongside whom Mace Windu had fought.

_The present is never far from the past…_

Clearing his throat, Obi-Wan got everyone's attention before he began his explanation:

"When we were on the Death Star to free Princess Leia, I was able to implant a small exploit into the mainframe of the station. So small, nobody would notice it, and located inside the station's alert system. My plan is for us to board the Death Star, get Chopper here to a terminal and have him set off an urgent evacuation code. This will create chaos among the station's personnel and give those who believe their lives shouldn't end in service to the Empire, a chance to escape. We will have to act quickly since our comrades will be simultaneiously attempting to blow the entire station to bits and it would be truly unfortunate if we were onboard when it happened."

The room was as silent as the vacuum of space. It was Chopper, the Ghost's maverick droid, that broke it:

_Sorry I think my power levels are low. I have to shut down now._

Hera gave a firm punch to the top of Chopper's dome.

"Be nice, Chop," She turned to Obi-Wan, matching the confidence in his eyes with her own. "It's a risky plan, General, but if anyone can help you pull it off, it'll be our crew. What do you need us to do?"

Everyone else around the room nodded and leaned in to hear Obi-Wan's plan. The old Master was amazed to see them place their trust in him so easily. _I'd forgotten what it was like to have people to count on_, Obi-Wan reflected.

Obi-Wan snapped out of his thoughts and activated a holo-map of the Death Star that appeared in front of him.

"Here's what we're going to do…"

* * *

Obi-Wan sensed a dark presence onboard the Death Star; and it wasn't Darth Vador. Of course his fallen apprentice was still on the station but his attention was more focused on the squad of X-Wings that had begun their attack, and among them, a familiar presence he wanted to identify. This left Vader completely oblivious to Obi-Wan's disguised Force presence.

"It's an Inquisitor," Kanan Jarrus said, answering Obi-Wan's thought. "The Emperor's personal assassins."

The spite with which he said this and the scorn on young Ezra's face gave Obi-Wan a clear idea of the kind of foe they were dealing with.

_Like Assaj Ventress and Savaj Opress during the Clone Wars. _Obi-Wan immediately banished the thought. _No need to bring back those memories._

The old Master paused and looked back at the two Jedi accompanying him. He'd asked them and Chopper to follow him to the control panel. Meanwhile, he'd sent Ashoka and Sabine to blow up one of the Death Star's power couplings to help lend some credibility to the ensuing evacuation order.

So far everything seemed to be going according to plan. Obi-Wan put a hand on Kanan and Ezra's shoulder, who both still looked at him with nervousness and uncertainty.

"What is troubling you both?" the old master asked, his tone light and carefree.

Kanan seemed unable or unwilling to word his concerns so his apprentice did it for him.

"Kanan's ashamed that he turned away from the Jedi way for so long. He thinks it makes him unworthy, or unqualified to teach me."

Kanan was visibly embarrassed by his Padawan's bluntness but he didn't try to correct it.

Obi-Wan understood the situation the young Jedi was in. He remembered Kanan from back when the Jedi Order still existed but he didn't remember him being a Knight, which meant he was likely a Padawan when Order 66 was issued. _Perhaps his Master was with him that day… _Obi-Wan wondered.

"I believe your master has made a grave mistake," Obi-Wan said to Ezra, his tone strangely ominous.

Obi-Wan paused; and with a large smile, empathy radiating in his voice, said:

"He thought he had to bear all the pain of the galaxy on his shoulders. That a moment he perceived as weakness made him unfit to pass on what he'd learned and guide others on the right path."

Obi-Wan locked eyes with Kanan who stared back, awestruck.

"Kanan Jarrus, I KNOW what you are feeling. What you call weakness, another would call rationality. In times such as these we cannot afford to be tethered by our past. We must learn from it, grow from it and accept it as a part of us. You lost a family once, you lost so many dear friends and you were forced to run away. Well, today you've found a new family, and new friends; so now I ask you this Kanan Jarrus: are you still going to run?"

Obi-Wan held his hand out towards the young man who, after an awestruck pause, shook the old master's hand a determined smirk on his face.

"I will stand and fight, Master Kenobi," he said. "As long as there is life in me I will continue to fight for the light and continue my apprentice's training, as well as my own."

"That is good to hear," Obi-Wan said cheerfully. "Because we have company."

As he said this, a squad of Stormtroopers rounded the corner, followed by the ominous silhouette of an Imperial Inquisitor. Obi-Wan recognized the distinctive head tails of the Twi'lek race but that was where the resemblance stopped. The female Inquisitor's skin was a sickly gray, peppered with countless scars and boils. She wore a black tunic that left her arms and legs uncovered, revealing intricate tribal tattoos. Of course her physical appearance was a perfect match for her Force signature. Obi-Wan could barely make out anything intelligible. Her mind was closer to that of a wild animal, acting solely on instinct rather than rational thought.

The squad of Stormtrooper fanned out on either side of her, aiming their blasters at the three Jedi. Kanan and Ezra both ignited their lightsabers but Obi-Wan kept his on his belt, gazing at the Imperials impassively.

"You're sorely outmatched, Jedi," the Inquisitor spat out the last word like an insult. "Surrender now and the Emperor may grant you a swift death."

Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile at a line he must have heard hundreds of times in his life.

"I'd love to take your word for it," the old Jedi replied evenly. "But I'm afraid I don't know you well enough to ascertain whether or not you're being truthful. I'd hate to accept a deal where the terms aren't an absolute guaranty."

Everyone present paused for a second at Obi-Wan's casual answer to the Inquisitor's threat. They were more used to a fight breaking out instantly, not for their to be a discussion about trust issues.

Ezra and Kanan adjusted their footing slightly but Obi-Wan held out his hand to ease them off.

_There will be no fighting here_, he communicated to them through the Force.

The Inquisitor finally mustered a response to Obi-Wan's quip by drawing a single lightsaber from behind her back and igniting its blood red blade. She then produced a smaller hilt from her belt and ignited a second red blade about the length of a dagger.

_What ever happened to using a normal lightsaber,_ Obi-Wan wondered.

"You won't be given a second chance, Rebel scum," the Inquisitor growled. "Surrender or die."

"Well if you're going to be so direct about it. We'll pick the second one, please." Obi-Wan replied with a smirk.

The Inquisitor's yellow eyes glowed like molten metal. Kanan and Ezra angled their sabers, ready to deflect the oncoming fire.

"Master," Kanan whispered to Obi-Wan. "What's the plan?"

"It never changed," Obi-Wan replied. "Trust in the Force."

"OPEN FIRE!" the Inquisitor yelled.

The guns fired, but the shots never hit anything. Instead they were stuck hovering between the two groups, held in place by some invisible force. The Stormtroopers, terrified at the supernatural display, looked to the Inquisitor, but she simply stared in shock.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Obi-Wan said, taking a step towards the Imperials. As he moved, the lasers moved with him. "It's an incredible difficult and physically taxing technique. It's actually the first time I've tried it with this many, so I'm not entirely sure how long I can hold them."

To punctuate his point, one of the lasers escaped Obi-Wan's grip, but flying in the direction from which it came. It hit a wall a couple inches away from a terrified Stormtrooper.

"I'd recommend that those who do not wish to die as servants of a corrupt Empire, lay down your weapons and get yourselves to a ship."

Kanan and Ezra watched in awe as every soldier threw down his weapon and ran away, leaving only the Inquisitor to face the three Jedi and the barrage of frozen lasers.

She snarled defiantly, dropping into the stance of Ataru.

"I certainly admire your perseverance," Obi-Wan said, his voice carrying a frightening edge. "If only it were placed in service of a better master."

Obi-Wan sent two laser bolts flying towards the Inquisitor who parried them away, flinching from the extra power they were imbued with. Obi-Wan continued to advance, releasing lasers regularly to keep his opponent on the defensive.

Eventually, Obi-Wan ran out of shots, just as he got within striking distance of the Inquisitor. Seizing the opportunity, she swung her lightsaber will all her remaining strength straight at the old master's neck.

The strike couldn't hit its target. Like the lasers, the Inquisitor's blade was stuck motionless, a couple inches away from Obi-Wan's cheek.

Kanan and Ezra came up on either side of the old master, watching the frozen Inquisitor in disbelief as she desperately tried to free herself from Obi-Wan's Force grip.

"You are strong with the Dark Side, young one," Obi-Wan acknowledged, breathing heavily from the exertion. "But not that strong."

Obi-Wan used the Force to turn off the Inquisitor's swords and called them to his hand. He then let go of the grip he held on her body, letting her fall to the ground. She stared up at the old Jedi with a mix of hatred and fear.

"Please. Surrender." Obi-Wan asked, desperate to avoid any more killing.

The young woman stayed motionless for several seconds. She reached her hand to the base of her neck and started scratching furiously.

"I… surr— never… No… I must… DIE !"

The Inquisitor fell on the floor, writhing in agony.

"She's faking it, Master." Ezra said, defensively pointing his lightsaber towards her.

"I wouldn't be so sure." Obi-Wan replied evenly.

He knelt next to the convulsing woman and examined her neck, which seemed to be where the pain was coming from. At the very top of spinal cord, Obi-Wan spotted a small round device, pulsating with unknown energy.

Obi-Wan used the Force to call forth the Inquisitor's "light-dagger", as he decided to call it, and ignited the small blade. With a steady hand, he used it to cut the device away from the neck of the Inquisitor.

Her screams of pain and agony echoed through the empty corridors of the Death Star until, after a few seconds, the device was removed and she fell unconscious. Obi-Wan examined the offending device before storing it away. He also attached the light-dagger to the back of his belt, impressed by the handy-device.

"An elegant weapon for an uncivilized age?" the old Jedi mused.

Obi-Wan removed his comlink from his belt and opened a channel to Ashoka and Sabine.

"Have the charges been planted?" he asked over the coms.

Obi-Wan waited several seconds but no response came. _Not good._

"Ashoka, Sabine! Come in!" he repeated. "Blast it!"

Obi-Wan turned to the worried faces of Kana and Ezra.

"Activate the evacuation order. When you're done, put the Inquisitor on a ship and send it on autopilot. Wait for us on The Ghost as long as you can but if it comes down to it, leave without us."

The two Jedi didn't like what Obi-Wan had in mind but knew better than to argue.

"We know you'll make it, Master," Ezra said with a faint smirk. "We still need you to teach us that move you pulled."

With a final smile, both Knight and Apprentice raced towards the control panel, leaving Chopper to whirr and buzz frantically behind them.

Obi-Wan watched their retreating figures, unable to shake the unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach. After several seconds, he broke off into a run, following Ashoka and Sabine's locator signal.

When Obi-Wan reached the large blast door behind which the power couplings were located, his comlink suddenly started receiving a transmission.

"Ashoka? Sabine? Are you all right?" the old master asked in a worried tone.

"General…" Sabine's voice came back weak and tired. "Vader's here. He found us."

Without wasting a second, Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber and sent a powerful Force wave that shattered the thick metal door in front of him.

* * *

SO THERE WE GO! THAT'S A THING THAT JUST HAPPENED. NEXT CHAPTER I FEEL I'M GOING TO TRY SOMETHING PRETTY CONTROVERSIAL THAT SOME PEOPLE MAY GET TRIGGERED AT BUT PLEASE BARE WITH ME, AGAIN THIS IS ALL MY INTERPRETATION.

THANKS FOR STICKING WITH IT TILL NOW. PLEASE FAVORITE, FOLLOW AND COMMENT IF YOU ENJOY IT. IF YOU DIDN'T, PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHY.


	8. Final Goodbye

**I'd first like to give my regular apology for all the wait on this new chapter, and an even bigger apology to those who follow my other fanfic (I haven't forgotten about you guys, the next chapter is coming up, I promise). **

**My summer job at Disneyland took up most of my free time and right now I'm in Japan on a nice little 10-day adventure in Tokyo to unwind after this work-filled summer. I should be uploading more regularly as the new school year starts up, emphasis on 'should be'. Again, don't want to make false promises**

**To hopefully get back in your good graces, I've made this chapter an extra-long one where some slightly controversial stuff takes place (at least I felt some people might take issue with it). **

**I also want to reply to the comments I got on my last chapter. Big thanks to all of you who comment. I read them all and I really should have made time to reply to them sooner but I'm just a very lazy individual.**

**Ancalagon: I've always enjoyed the Force power of holding back blaster bolts (not technically a power but you get it). I think it's when I finally saw it on film in Force Awakens that the options really started to multiply in just how powerful the Force grab could be. The tricky part is also not to make it an insta-win technique. Obi-Wan is already pretty powerful to begin with so I'm always trying to find the balance between unstoppable Jedi master and still just an old human dude.**

**Negotiator fan: I have always been disappointed by the lack of old Ben Kenobi fanfics. There's a lot of focus on younger Obi-Wan, which I love, but an older, wiser, more Force attuned Obi-Wan is just as rife for good stories in my view. As stated before, the trick is always to find the right power balance so that it still feels like Obi-Wan could be defeated by someone and isn't just an unstoppable beast. And concerning that lightsabre stopping scene, you're absolutely right. It was a direct homage to the very first episodes of the Clone Wars series where we follow Master Yoda (there absolutely had to be more episodes with just Yoda but that's for another time. The final episodes that closed season 6 are godly). Obi-Wan actually quotes Yoda directly, albeit slightly rearranged since he doesn't talk like him ;) Well spotted, I'll make sure to fit in other references wherever I can.**

**Real Obi-Wan IV: Wow. Thank you, thank you, thank you! It means a lot to hear this much praise from the actual Obi-Wan Kenobi, or at least his 4****th**** descendant. Obi-Wan is easily one of my favorite SW characters, which is key when trying to write a fanfiction. You have to be a fan of the character to start with and be willing to take him in new and interesting directions.**

**Thanks for all your comments and I will start replying to each comment from my last chapter from now on. I should have done this from the start but again: I am a very lazy individual ;)**

**Alright! I think that's about enough yacking from me. I'll leave you with this brand new chapter. If you enjoy please favorite and follow. As always, any comments are appreciated, as long as they're constructive or non-threatening ;)**

* * *

What Obi-Wan saw when he entered the power room made his stomach curl. Ahsoka and Sabine were both sprawled on the ground, badly injured. The end of one of Ahsoka's lekkus was sliced off and Sabine had some painful looking dents in her armor, but overall, they didn't appear to be in any mortal danger.

Vader was standing motionless several meters away, red lightsaber ignited. Obi-Wan could hear his regular breaths from his mask which, paired with the emotionless lenses of his helmet, made his fallen apprentice look completely inhuman.

They were surrounded by gigantic energy pylons conducting large quantities of energy to all corners of the station. It reminded Obi-Wan of where he'd first battled Darth Maul on Naboo alongside Qui-Gon all those years ago. He just wished today's outcome wouldn't be the same as back then.

Obi-Wan took measured steps towards Ashoka and Sabine, never taking his eyes off Vader who remained unmoving. The lenses on his helmet followed the old Jedi like a hawk, his machine-assisted breaths not conveying a shred of remorse.

Once he'd reached the two women, Obi-Wan held out his hand to perform a very basic Force heal. Since he'd never studied the healing arts in great depth during his Jedi training, it had very little effect in regards to curing any ailments, but it proved just strong enough to wake Sabine from her unconsciousness.

"What…?" the Mandalorian girl looked up at Obi-Wan confused before her eyes went wide and shot towards the looming frame of Darth Vader a couple of meters away. She looked back to Obi-Wan but his gaze still hadn't strayed from his former apprentice.

"Take Ashoka back to the Ghost," his tone was deathly calm, leaving no room for argument. "Once everyone is on board, leave immediately. Aid the Rebels in any way you can. Make sure this infernal station is destroyed!"

His last words were spoken with such strength and barely repressed bitterness, Sabine could only nod before she loaded Ashoka onto her shoulders and slowly made her way towards the gaping hole Obi-Wan had made in the power room's blast-doors.

Right before Sabine disappeared from sight, Ashoka stirred on her shoulders, raising her head slightly to look at Vader, then Obi-Wan. Her voice was a croaked whisper:

"There is still good in him… master."

Ahsoka's head fell back limply against Sabine's back. The Mandalorian gave a brief nod towards Obi-Wan and disappeared from sight.

With only Obi-Wan and Vader left, the energy in the room shifted almost immediately. It was similar to a large thunder cloud invading a beautiful sunny day. They each tried to read the other's thoughts to know how to proceed.

Obi-Wan knew what his purpose here was. Ahsoka's last words had revealed to him how selfish and ignorant he'd been to reject the idea that Anakin could be returned to the light.

_When did I lose faith in the goodness of man? Did Tattooine change me or was I always so prone to doubt humanity's virtue?_ Obi-Wan wondered in complete dismay. It's true that he'd seen some of the worse of human, and alien, behavior on the desert planet, but these were all things he'd seen at some point or another during his years as a Jedi.

Ultimately, Obi-Wan knew he'd always been the cautious sort. He made decisions methodically, based on sufficient evidence, without leaving anything to chance. "A chip off the old block" was how Qui-Gon had sometimes referred to him when he'd been his Apprentice. That was why Obi-Wan had initially been skeptical when Anakin had entered their lives, but also the reason he'd come to respect him and his unorthodox methods.

Anakin always trusted his gut over what was 'logical' or 'strategically sound'. He felt that planning and preparation could only take you so far and that sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith. In that way, he was much wiser than Obi-Wan ever was.

_It is the spontaneity he finds to easily, which others do not. That is what sets him apart._ Obi-Wan remembered Yoda's words from long ago when they were discussing Anakin's role as the Chosen One.

Anakin had opened his eyes to the merit of improvisation and trusting one's gut. Perhaps when he'd fallen to the dark side, Obi-Wan had slowly started to regress to his more calculating and pessimistic self…

_It's my turn to open your eyes, Anakin. I WILL bring you back to us, and together, we will restore balance to the Force._

This realization filled Obi-Wan with a strong sense of purpose. He cast his eyes over his old apprentice who still hadn't moved. If he'd wanted to kill him, he would have done it ages ago; and if he'd truly wanted to kill Ahsoka and Sabine, he would have done it before Obi-Wan could even reach them.

_Something is holding him back. There is conflict within him,_ Obi-Wan realized. _Well then, old friend, tell me what troubles you._

Obi-Wan disengaged his lightsaber. The blue blade vanished, and the hilt was returned to Obi-Wan's belt. Vader showed no reaction to this, but a couple seconds later, he disengaged his own red lightsaber.

Now that they seemed to be in a temporary truce, Obi-Wan felt comfortable to move a couple steps forwards so that they were both standing on the two-meter-wide bridge that connected the opposite ends of the generator room. Bellow them was a deadly drop straight to the center of the station. The place where, hopefully, a proton torpedo will land, though preferably not while they were still here.

"I was thinking about how this room reminds of where I fought Darth Maul alongside Qui-Gon on Naboo," Obi-Wan began, keeping his voice completely monotonic. "Remember Naboo, Anakin? Your first time piloting a Starfighter? The day I promised you you'd become a Jedi? I haven't forgotten that promise. I know there's still good in you."

Obi-Wan could sense the whirlwind of emotions inside his fallen apprentice's mind. The hatred against him he'd sensed so strongly during their first encounter was being replaced by something else, but Obi-Wan couldn't quite tell what.

"Anakin Skywalker has been dead for years," Vader replied, his mask making every word a pitch lower. "He naively believed the Jedi were fighting for justice, equality and freedom while in truth they were only the pawns of a corrupt and broken system."

"Yes, I suppose our current system is a significant improvement over the old one," Obi-Wan shot back. "Less corruption, more cruelty and injustice. The Old Republic may have had flaws but at least there where those who tried to fix them. Now, those flaws have become the founding principles of this so called Empire you serve."

"I don't expect you to understand," Vader said, bitterness creeping into his robotic voice. "My master showed me REAL power, and that in order to wield it best, one had to stand above all others."

"Ah yes, your master's great power," Obi-Wan snorted, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his words. "Do you feel that he's given you what he's promised? Are we living in the free and just system you always felt the Old Republic should be? Would your mother be proud of this new Empire of yours?"

Obi-Wan could feel his former apprentice's anger towards him brewing at the mention of his mother. His patience was waning, the dark side clouding his senses, but Obi-Wan had to keep pushing. Anakin HAD to confront his fears, by force if necessary.

So Obi-Wan used his ace in the hole:

"What would Padme think of all that you've done?"

As expected, this set Vader off. In a flash he'd ignited his lightsaber and swung it straight at Obi-Wan's face. The old master saw it coming and caught it with his own blade, leaving the two men locked in a struggle for dominance.

"Don't you EVER say her name!" Vader bellowed, Force pushing Obi-Wan which he countered with his own leaving them stuck as each tried to overpower his opponent.

"She believed in a brighter future for the Republic, Anakin," Obi-Wan continued, struggling to keep up with the growing power of the Dark Side inside his fallen apprentice. "She knew parts of it were flawed but she believed with all her heart they could be changed. She always saw the good in people, just like she did with you."

"LIAR!" Anakin's scream was followed by a surge in his power that proved too much for Obi-Wan and sent him flying several meters back.

Obi-Wan hit the ground hard. He desperately tried to catch his breath, sensing his fallen apprentice approaching to deliver the killing blow.

_I suppose I'm out of options_, Obi-Wan thought.

The old Jedi rose to his feet, removing a small device from his pocket. When Vader was a couple feet away he activated the small holo-projector which displayed a glowing blue image of a very familiar face for both of them: the face of Padme Amidala. Her face was contorted from physical pain but there were also traces of a deeper pain, something more painful than any wound or scar.

_Obi-Wan…_ the silent plea in Padme's voice forced the old Jedi to hold back a tear as the memories of that day came flooding back. _There's good in him. I know… I know there's… still…_

As Padme's face slowly fell to the side as life slowly left her, the sharp scream of a baby made the recording shift over to Obi-Wan holding the two small forms of Luke and Leia. Vader dropped his ignited lightsaber and fell to his knees, sorrow replacing the hatred that had filed him earlier, but the recording wasn't finished. The younger Obi-Wan gently laid both infants in a crib, doing his best to keep up a stoic demeanor. He stroked his beard in the matter he had done thousands of times before, and turned towards whoever was filming him, his eyes coming to rest on Vader's kneeling frame:

_I don't know if you'll ever see this Anakin. I assume all this facility's data will be erased to keep Palpatine from ever finding the children… Their names are Luke and Leia. They were born on Polis Massa, the year your new Empire was formed. I don't know if they will ever see their true father, but if they ever ask, I will tell them that he was the bravest, kindest, most selfless Jedi I've ever had the pleasure to fight alongside. One of the greatest Starpilots in the galaxy, and my dearest, most cherished friend. And if they do finally meet you face to face, that is the only person they will see, and that is the only person they will love… Goodbye, old friend. May the Force be with you, always._

On those final words, the recording cut off. The older Obi-Wan watched as Vader raised his head to look directly at him. His mind was a chasm of conflicting emotions battling for dominance, and within that struggle, Obi-Wan could sense, was a battle between the Darkness and the Light.

"You do not understand what I have suffered," Vader's voice sounded tortured and broken. "All the pain, loss, anguish… the responsibility of being called The Chosen One…"

Vader got to his feet and let out a burst of Force energy which Obi-Wan deflected. It was merely a venting of anger, not an attack.

"You could never understand my pain!" Vader's voice was laced with anger and reproach. For the first time, Obi-Wan could hear the words and voice of Anakin Skywalker.

His fallen apprentice was right in a sense. Obi-Wan had no way of knowing or understanding everything that had led Anakin down this path. All he had was his own experience with suffering and loss. All the times where Obi-Wan had let himself be tempted by the Dark Side. Thought about abandoning the Jedi way and revel in this power that seemed limitless, if only he chose to give in to his hatred. Chose to sacrifice his training, his morality, his soul…

"I understand, Anakin," the serenity and compassion in Obi-Wan's voice made Vader flinch, as if he'd just heard his real name for the first time in years. "I understand that I can never comprehend what you've endured, but do not assume to know what I have endured."

Obi-Wan shrugged off his long brown cloak, revealing his tan-colored Jedi tunic, starkly detaching itself from the metallic grey walls of the Death Star.

"I know I am no longer your Master, and you are no longer my Apprentice, but I feel this is a lesson I should have taught you a long time ago."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and cleared his mind of all errant thoughts, entering the same mental clarity as in a meditation. It was like he was sitting in front of a blank canvas with every conceivable color to paint with. If Obi-Wan were meditating, he'd paint an intricate tableau with as much detail and depth as possible, to merge this metaphysical construction with the real world he inhabited. By understanding one, he could understand the other.

However, today, Obi-Wan wasn't interested in painting. He broke his canvas into bits, threw his paintbrushes away and dumped out all the paint: today, he was creating chaos.

Obi-Wan searched deep within his memories, recalling all the times he'd flirted with the Dark Side: his jealousy when another Padawan succeeded at an exercise that he'd failed, his fear at failing Qui-Gon and the Jedi Order, his failure as a general when his Clone were killed in battle, his failure to be Anakin's Master… his anger. Anger when Qui-Gon and Satine were murdered by Maul, when Ashoka left the Jedi Order, when the entire Order was wiped out by its own troops, when Anakin fell into Palpatine's clutches. All this PAIN was rising to the surface and Obi-Wan did not suppress it.

The old Jedi felt like his entire body was rejuvenated. Every muscle in his body pulsated with newfound energy, all building up and needing to be discharged. Obi-Wan's vision began to change. All the shapes became clearer, and shadows more defined. He felt hyperaware of everything around him, and the entire world now had a sickly yellow tint to it.

Once Obi-Wan's senses were sharpened and he was no longer limited by his physical form, he started to feel the darkness encroaching on his mind. It told him he was now a near-godly being, no longer tethered by the same rules as the rest of the galaxy's rabble. He possessed all this power and now he needed to use it. Strike down those who would oppose him, and force the rest into submission.

Obi-Wan could hear his voice whispering in the back of his mind. A snake like whisper, so similar to Darth Sidious':

_Do you feel this power? How liberating it is? We are so much stronger when we allow ourselves to transcend our humanity; to ascend to a greater plane of existence. You understand this. After so many years it seems you have grown wise to it._

Vader, now up on his feet, was looking at Obi-Wan with what could only be a stare of disbelief. Feeling the familiar and enduring Force signature of his former master suddenly become so erratic and aggressive was something that shook Anakin to his core. He felt a surge of raw fear and sadness overwhelm him after years spent detached from all emotion or compassion.

_Lord Vader has grown weak,_ the voice in Obi-Wan's head was growing louder. _He is no longer worthy. Strike him down! Strike with all your anger! Eliminate him and reshape the galaxy as you see fit, with no one to stand in your way._

Vader must have heard or deduced what the voice was saying to Obi-Wan because his entire frame seemed to slacken in silent resignation. As though he expected this moment would someday arrive, and he'd decided not to resist it, much like Obi-Wan had when they'd first fought on the Death Star.

The old Jedi took a deep breath of the Death Star's recycled air and addressed the voice in his mind:

_You mistake my intentions, oh great sinister one. You have nothing to offer me that I could possibly want. I have found my purpose and it is freeing my apprentice from you!_

The voice tried to respond but Obi-Wan tuned it out, focusing his power to gather the Force around him. He reached out towards the giant metal power conduits that stretched out for miles and were several yards wide. The metallic cylinders started to creak and groan, sparks flashing as they were ripped away from their housings. Five hunks of steel, each weighing several tons, were now hovering above Obi-Wan and Vader.

The old Jedi addressed his Padawan directly, his voice layered with his well-known calm and kindness:

"I understand your pain, Anakin. More than you know. And I know that the path you've chosen will not give you solace."

He lifted the hundreds of tons of steel high into the air, high above his fallen apprentice and then... he let his anger dissolve into the Force. All the pain and dark memories disappeared like dust in the wind. His eyes returned to their original striking grey-blue, displaying a wisdom and experience that managed to put everyone at ease. He was back to the light, and the pylons were still hovering over Anakin's head.

"I know pain, my old Padawan," Obi-Wan's voice sounded twenty years younger. "I've seen and lived through enough of it to last me several lifetimes. I've had every opportunity to let it consume me, to become the product of my fears and desires. But instead, I mastered them. Faced them, defeated them, and now I control them, not the other way around. THAT is the power of the Force, Anakin. It is what your master can never teach you because he is too weak to face his own mortality."

Before Vader could reply, Obi-Wan released his hold on the floating hunks of steel, sending them crashing over the length of bridge that separated them. The falling debris tore through the thin bridge with ease, leaving a several meters wide gap between the Jedi and Sith.

Suddenly, Obi-Wan's senses perked up as he felt Luke's presence through the Force growing stronger. Looking over to his former apprentice, he could see that he'd felt it too.

"Do you know what Luke told me when I told him about Anakin Skywalker," Obi-Wan asked. "He said he wanted to become a Jedi, just like his father. It isn't too late for you to make his words ring true. He needs a master to teach him, but more importantly, he needs a father to love him."

With that, Obi-Wan turned away from Vader and walked back the way he came, stopping at the entrance of the generator room to look back:

"The Force will be with you, Anakin. Always."

Obi-Wan thought he saw the barest sign of a nod from his old apprentice before the tall dark figure walked away and disappeared out of sight. After a couple seconds, Obi-Wan made his way as fast as possible towards the hangar bay.

* * *

_Surely this is the way I came…_

Obi-Wan couldn't believe he'd managed to forget the way back to the hangar. Normally he would just follow his companions' Force signature, but per his request, they had all left the station by now.

After rounding another identical looking corner, Obi-Wan was beginning to grow frustrated. He drew his lightsaber and ignited its blade.

_If I just cut into a straight line, I'm bound to come across something eventually._

Before Obi-Wan could put his plan into effect, a group of Imperials rounded the corner, coming face to face with the armed Jedi master. Those at the front of the line jumped away in terror, while others dropped down and started to beg for their lives.

Before Obi-Wan could attempt to calm them down, a grey haired officer stepped forward, eying the Jedi calmly. He wore the insignias of a corporal alongside several medals. His dark brown eyes carried the same "wisdom of age shine" as Obi-Wan's.

The corporal unholstered the blaster hanging on his belt and threw it at the Jedi's feet. He then took a single step forward, hands placed high above his head.

"I surrender myself to you, Jedi," his voice was even, without fear. Every word he spoke felt precise and researched. "I implore you to let these men pass. They are mechanics, not fighters."

The men behind him all nodded in unison to his last statement. Obi-Wan was impressed by the man's courage. He sheathed his saber before replying:

"I don't know how things are done here but slaying defenseless men isn't really my cup of tea. I'm looking for a way off this station, same as you. If you know the way to the nearest hangar, I'd very much like to come with you."

The corporal nodded his head in understanding. He turned to the mechanics behind him and gestured for them to keep moving. They all got back on their feet and continued the way they were headed, leaving Obi-Wan and the corporal to bring up the rear.

After a couple seconds of silent running through the empty halls of the Death Star, the corporal asked:

"Do you believe in hell?"

Obi-Wan could only imagine why he was asking.

"No. I believe judgement for our actions takes place before death, not after."

A couple seconds passed before the corporal answered:

"I suppose that would make sense."

Obi-Wan didn't have time to ask what he meant since they were finally arriving to a large hangar, different from the one Obi-Wan had started from. It was mostly empty, aside from a few stragglers who were also looking for a ship.

The mechanics all headed towards a medium sized troop carrier while the corporal and Obi-Wan made their way towards the docked TIE Fighters. Obi-Wan pulled open the hatch to the cockpit and started flipping on the appropriate switches, or at least what he hoped were the appropriate switches. It had been a long time since he'd flown a Starfighter.

After a couple minutes of semi-accurate button presses and lever pulls, Obi-Wan had his TIE Fighter up and running. He looked outside to see if the corporal had taken off already and was stunned to see him standing motionless on the landing ground, staring through the transparent magnetic shield into the vast expanse of space.

Obi-Wan quickly got out of his TIE Fighter and ran over to the corporal. He took one look at his lifeless stare and rigid posture, and understood there was nothing he could say to change his mind.

The old master stood by the corporal's side, following his gaze towards the millions of stars and planets outside. When the corporal spoke, it sounded like every word was a struggle to pronounce:

"I suppose if we are all reunited… maybe I'll finally get to apologize. To all of them."

Obi-Wan didn't say anything. Through the Force he reached out to the other man, calming his mind and soul.

"Bruna… the kids," the corporal's voice was barely holding together. "I always told them how beautiful Alderaan was… how the galaxy was safe thanks to this weapon I'd helped build…"

The corporal crumbled to his knees, tears falling on the cold dark floor. His entire frame shook from the sobs as he ripped away the medals and honors on his vest, and desperately punched them into the ground. The medals stayed intact, but not the bones in his hands didn't, nor the pristine floor of the hangar bay.

Obi-Wan turned away from the vastness of space and, laying a hand on the corporal's head, said:

"You will forgive yourself and forget the pain."

Several seconds passed before the corporal gave his response:

"I will forgive myself and forget the pain."

Obi-Wan walked back briskly to his TIE-Fighter. Once inside he slowly took it out of the hangar and into space. From there, he could almost make out the smile on the corporal's face.

* * *

After a couple minutes of less than smooth flying, Obi-Wan was finally comfortable enough with the controls that he could keep his ship steady and flying in a straight line. He made a B-line towards where the main fight was taking place, opening up a communication channel to all nearby ships.

"To all Rebel Alliance ships in the area, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi. I am onboard a stolen TIE Fighter, designation 74B-2, please do not engage. Over."

After a couple seconds of static, a voice came back over the comms:

"Good to see you made it back safe, general. This is Wedge Antilles of Red Squadron. I've relayed your ship designation to high command to avoid any friendly fire. I can send some of our guys to escort you back to Yavin if you'd like."

"That won't be necessary, Wedge," Obi-Wan replied as he dodged his ship out of the way of some laser bolts. "I'm not leaving this battle until it is won. What's the situation on the exhaust port?"

Obi-Wan could spot the long trench that lead straight to the opening where a torpedo was supposed to fit. It was lined with massive turrets and several dozen TIE Fighters swarming above it.

Before Wedge could answer, Luke's frantic voice crackled over the comms.

"Ben! It's good that you made it. Our squad leader wasn't able to deliver the payload and now he's gone. We need to do another run before the Empire reinforces its defenses."

In any other situation, Obi-Wan would have chided Luke for his headstrong attitude and told him to wait for them to form a more complete attack plan. However, this wasn't a situation where strategies could be meticulously planned out. Despite their drop in numbers because of Obi-Wan's false evacuation order, the Empire still outnumbered the Rebel ships. This entire operation had played on the element of surprise and every minute wasted not attacking the Death Star's weak point was increasing the chance that Yavin would be annihilated and the entire Rebellion with it.

"I agree, Luke. Go on, show these well-bred pilots what a valley boy can do. Wedge! You and I will protect Luke's rear as he makes his way for the exhaust port."

"Right with you, general!" Wedge's voice replied instantly, brimming with anticipation.

"Just make sure you can keep up!" Luke's cheeky tone brought a small smirk to Obi-Wan's lips.

He watched as Luke tilted his X-Wing to the side, dropping into dive straight for the trench. Immediately, the laser turrets sprang to life, sending green bolts of energy steaking past Luke's ship which the boy avoided with impressive skill and dexterity. Just as he neared the surface of the Death Star, he pulled up on the controls, transitioning smoothly into the trench and accelerating forward.

"Glad to see Imperial flight academy training is worth something." Wedge said jokingly.

"All I need is for him to start spinning to send me to an early grave. Tighten up formation, we're going in."

Obi-Wan followed Luke's approach, tilting his ship downward so that he was flying straight towards the surface of the Death Star. Unfortunately, he didn't share Luke's love and/or affinity for flying. Obi-Wan's relationship with being inside a Starfighter was one based on reluctance and relying on his droid navigator to do most of the hard work for him. Since he didn't have the latter, Obi-Wan's only choice was to boost his forward shields to maximum and do his best to not hit any lasers.

After several heart pounding seconds, Obi-Wan was able to skim the surface of the Death Star and make it into the trench with Wedge following closely behind.

"Any closer and I'd have thought this was a suicide run, general." Wedge's said sarcastically.

"Leave it to the droids, Wedge," Obi-Wan muttered as he shifted the power from the forward shields to the engines. "Just leave it to the droids."

As they both shared a good natured chuckle, they managed to catch up with Luke who was starting to accelerate towards the exhaust port.

"Ben, I'm picking up several enemy fighters coming in on the scanners. You see anything?"

_I don't need to see to know who that is…_

"We have two Inquisitors moving in on our six," Obi-Wan told Wedge and Luke. "Keep pushing full speed towards the exhaust port. They'll have to deactivate the turrets if they don't want to risk hitting their own ships. We'll do our best to draw them into the trench."

"No, Ben, I can help you…"

"There isn't time Luke!" Obi-Wan cut the young man. "If we fail here, the Rebel Alliance will never recover. We will do our part so you can do yours."

"We'll handle 'em Luke," Wedge chipped in. "Can't let you take all the glory."

Luke let out a soft chuckle before replying confidently:

"May the Force be with you."

Luke accelerate his ship down the trench, while Obi-Wan and Wedge decelerated and diverted extra power to their weapons and rear-shields. It took only a couple seconds for the Inquisitors to take the bait. They bore down on the two X-Wings, firing at them as they moved side by side into the trench.

In this configuration, there was very little Obi-Wan and Wedge could do to fight back. They had no rear cannons and attempting to flip over to get behind the Inquisitors would only leave Luke wide open for an attack. There only viable option was to dodge the oncoming fire until Luke could land his torpedoes into the Death Star's reactor.

Obi-Wan and Wedge managed to weave from side to side and around each other, effectively dodging the Inquisitors laser bolts. But of course, this strategy could only keep them untouched for so long. Eventually, an Inquisitor fired a lucky shot that managed to hit Wedge's right wing.

"I'm hit! I can't stay with you!" Wedge bit out in frustration.

"Get out of here, Wedge! I'll handle things from here."

"Sorry, general," Wedge replied, pulling his X-Wing out of the trench and away from the Death Star. "I'll try to rally some guys to get them off your back."

Obi-Wan was now alone. The two Inquisitors were closing in on him. Their shots passed closer and closer to his ship, until one finally struck metal. Red warning diodes flashed on Obi-Wan's control panel, indicating he'd lost power to his shields.

_Not good,_ the old Jedi thoughts grimly.

Obi-Wan continued to dodge the lasers but he knew he could only hold out for so long. Eventually, they'd land the kill shot.

_Well… these last couple hours made the years of pain worth it,_ the old master reflected. _I suppose it's time to continue my mission in the next life._

"Ben!" Luke's panicked voice shook Obi-Wan out of his reverie. "I'm nearly at the exhaust port but my targeting computer is acting up, it won't turn on."

Obi-Wan smiled to himself. If these were to be his final moments, he would make sure he helped his last student just as much as he had his first. Loosening his hold on the controls of his TIE Fighter, Obi-Wan poured all his concentration into reaching out to Luke through the Force.

"_Use the Force Luke." _Obi-Wan's voice echoed in Luke's mind. The young man felt as though he was whispering directly into his ear. He watched the proximity dial on his control board move closer and closer to zero as he approached the exhaust port. He kept pressing the button for his targeting computer, desperately hoping it would suddenly start working.

"_Let go Luke."_ he heard the familiar voice again. Luke felt his senses becoming sharper. His vision was focusing in on the incoming exhaust port, his hands perfectly steady over the trigger for the torpedoes. He felt as though all his tension and doubts had evaporated, to be replaced by a sense of serenity and clarity that permeated his mind and body.

Obi-Wan relaxed as he felt Luke give himself over to the Force, letting it guide his movements. He had done all he could. Now it was time for others to take his place. As he sensed the Inquisitor's lasers bearing down on him, seconds away from blowing his ship to pieces, he reached out to Luke with one final message:

"_Remember. The Force will be with you. Always."_

Obi-Wan closed his eyes. He heard a loud explosion, felt a sudden jolt and exhaled a final breath as he fell into unconsciousness and a blinding white light filled his vision.

* * *

**DONE! Wow that was a lot of stuff.**

**So I don't know. Obi-Wan accepting the Dark Side for a little bit was that sacrilege for some people. I see it as a calculated move where he was in control the whole time and only did it to teach his fallen apprentice a valuable lesson but I can see how some people might see it as fundamentally betraying who Obi-Wan is. Tell me what you think.**

**Also, if you want to kill me because of that ending, I will exceptionally accept anger-filled comments for you to vent your frustration at me ;)**

**Please favorite, follow and comment, and remember: The Force will be with you. Always.**


	9. Reunited

**Ah shit here we go again… ;)**

**How long has it been? Over a month? My timing just keeps getting more and more productive am I right? I feel it's a waste of breath for me to apologize and promise more regular uploads. It really all depends on my workload, which writing project I choose to work on and of course, being able to doge that accursed writer's block.**

**So, for now, rejoice because a new chapter of Obi-Wan fanfic is here and I am going to answer the comments from my last chapter.**

**RKF22: I possess many abilities some consider to be… unnatural (like the ability to never release a fanfic chapter on time ;)**

**gdvp111: First of all, straight up, thank you so much for taking the time to write out this detailed and thought out comment on what I've written so far. It means a lot to me that this story invested you enough that you took the time to write this comment and I want you to know that some of the changes in how I imagined the story progressing came from your suggestions and criticisms, so thank you. I will try to address as many of your points as possible in as organized a way as I can:**

**-I understood that when Obi-Wan fought Maul on Tatooine he bated him by using Qui-Gon's attack stance which threw Maul off-guard. However, that may have failed to come across if I confused the different lightsaber forms. I apologize for that, that's just bad research, or Wookieepedia lied to me ;)**

**-I will try to manage the interactions between Obi-Wan and the secondary characters a bit better, but I also have to be careful not to lose the central focus of the story by introducing too many supporting characters at the risk of forgetting some of them.**

**-Concerning introducing more Force sensitive users, that is entirely possible. I am not super well versed in the EU characters or those that aren't in the spotlight the most so I'd have to make sure I did research before putting them in, but Mara Jade feels like a must. If you've got any comics you'd recommend on this period that could give me some ideas I'm totally open.**

**-Obi-Wan letting the dark side consume him briefly was definitely a controversial move on my part. To me it was like he was always in control and was just using it to show that the power of the light side was stronger, though since he didn't fully embrace it that is also some dishonesty on Obi-Wan's part. Concerning the power representation, I instinctively made Obi-Wan more powerful that cannon relative to his age and I'm also going off the idea that he trained INTENSIVELY on Tattooine which helps explain his level. Overall though, he's powerful because I like my boy Obi-Wan with some dope powers. It can make for some nice "humble-pie" moments like with the Inquisitor ;)**

**-Concerning all the lore errors, I apologize. Some things I just flat out had no idea but now I know. And concerning future characters and plot points I'd rather not get too ahead of myself on that. I'm still very much writing this story as I go along with specific plot points in mind for later and much much later ;) you'll see ;)**

**THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENTS! PLEASE FAVORITE, FOLLOW AND COMMENTS IT MEANS A LOT TO ME AND LET'S GET ON WITH THIS NEW CHAPTER. MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!**

* * *

Obi-Wan didn't want to open his eyes. He'd regained consciousness, but instead of seeing where he was, he extended out through the Force, trying to sense familiar Force presences. The fact he did not feel anything gave him some apprehension about what he'd see when he opened his eyes.

_Is this what death…_

"Forgotten how to use your eyes have you?" an instantly familiar, gravelly voice spoke.

Obi-Wan's eyes flew open and sure enough, sitting across from him, cross-legged, on a futon, was the former Grand Master of the Jedi Order: Master Yoda. He wore a cloak made out of roughly woven plant fibers, which was draped over a brown battle tunic. A small gimer stick laid by his right side, and a similarly-sized lightsaber to his left.

Once Obi-Wan had taken in every detail of Yoda's appearance, he cast his gaze at their surroundings. The room they were in had a tall ceiling, with smooth and modern architecture and large windows that gave view upon a bustling nighttime metropolis. Outside, thousands of flying vehicles weaved around each other in dozens of chaotically organized lines, like a human-sized flying ant hill.

The rest of the room was in the dark. The only source of light was the distant glow from the city lights and head-lights outside.

It took less than a second for Obi-Wan to recognize this place: Coruscant, the former capital of the Old Republic and current capital of Palpatine's Galactic Empire.

The old human Jedi looked back to the infinitely older alien Master who merely eyed him with a well-used look that always made its recipient know that there was something Yoda knew that they didn't.

Obi-Wan decided it was best to stay silent and let Yoda engage the conversation since he preferred not to awkwardly ask if he was dead.

After a long minute of silence, during which Yoda's gaze stayed fixed on Obi-Wan, the old Grand Master picked up his gimmer stick and lifted himself up so he was standing at eye level with Obi-Wan, who stayed seated.

Yoda looked over his shoulder as if to make sure nobody was eavesdropping on them, and with a conspiring smirk, gestured for Obi-Wan to come closer to him.

Obi-Wan leaned forward, turning his head to hear what Yoda had to say, only to be greeted by a sharp whack on the head from his gimmer stick.

"Ow!" Obi-Wan let out, recoiling away from Yoda who sat back down with a low chuckle.

"Aaah, so lost your tongue you have not," the Grand Master remarked, punctuating his sentence with another light chuckle, which sounded like a speeder bike engine trying to start up. "Disturb my meditation you do, and no apology do I receive? Hmmm?"

This last questioning onomatopoeia was something Obi-Wan had always found amusing with Yoda. The old Grand Master seemed to always end his questions with a questioning grunt, either to stimulate a response from the other party or, when Yoda was feeling sarcastic, in order to mark a question as rhetorical.

Obi-Wan felt it best not to linger in his answer, lest Yoda decide to beat him with his lightsaber next.

"My apologies, Master," Obi-Wan said, giving a slight bow of deference. "If I'd known you were meditating, I would have waited another few days before coming here."

Yoda shook his head at Obi-Wan's joke but took it in good spirit. The old Grand Master laid down his gimmer stick and relaxed back into his meditative pose.

"Know where you are, Obi-Wan? Hmmm?" Yoda asked.

"What lies beyond death…" Obi-Wan replied slowly. "The living Force?"

Yoda's demeanor seemed to somber slightly. The old Grand Master hunched forward, his eyelids closing for a couple seconds. When he opened his eyes and looked at Obi-Wan, his worried countenance remained.

"Close you were, yes. Close you still are…" the older Jedi spoke slowly. "But dead, you are not."

"Then…" Obi-Wan started, looking at his surrounding with wide eyes. "This is a dream?"

"Dream of me, I hope you do not," Yoda replied, cracking a faint smile. "No. Communicating we are. Through the Force, speaking to you I am."

Obi-Wan felt both reassured but also as though a thousand-ton backpack had just been thrown on his shoulders. A backpack he'd just taken off, but was forced to put on again.

"A dangerous gamble you made with Skywalker, Obi-Wan," Yoda said impassively.

"Master, Luke needed to begin his journey," Obi-Wan protested. "He was in danger, I had no choice."

"Choice?" Yoda asked, looking up to his former student. "There is always a choice. And it is not this Skywalker of whom I speak of."

Obi-Wan paused, understanding what Yoda meant and found he could not argue with him on this point. His entire exchange with Anakin had been a gamble, and potentially a very costly one.

"I thought I could change him, Master," Obi-Wan said in a low tone. "I thought that if I could get through to him, I could somehow change him. But I couldn't feel anything. There was pain, sadness but no sign of the man I'd once known."

Yoda nodded sadly, a knowing expression on his face.

"Hmmm… unknown, his Master's influence over him is. Likely expected this possibility, Sidious has. Further pushed Skywalker away, we may have…"

Obi-Wan couldn't find words to express how he felt. Apologizing would do no good, and even if it did, Obi-Wan did not feel he had anything to apologize for. He'd made a promise to bring Anakin back to the Light, and he would not stop until he'd spent his last breath.

"What must I do, Master?" Obi-Wan asked the old Grand Master. It was easily the question Yoda had received the most in his entire lifetime.

"Continue the boy's training you must," Yoda stated. Obi-Wan nodded, glad there was something they both agreed on. "Train the other Jedi as well. More survivors will emerge, training they will need. When the time is right, join you I will."

This last sentence left Obi-Wan stunned. Master Yoda was ready to end his exile? As Obi-Wan went to ask more details, the entire room they were in started to shake, like an earthquake was propagating through the Jedi Temple. Their surroundings were blurring together, as if dissolving in a pool of water.

Yoda nodded at the chaos surrounding them and turned his gaze back to Obi-Wan.

"Out of danger you appear to be. Train them, protect them, see you soon I will."

"Master! Wait…"

But as Obi-Wan tried to reach out to Yoda, he disappeared, as did everything around him and he suddenly felt as though he were drowning.

* * *

He slowly opened his eyes and scanned his immediate surroundings. All he could see was a metallic grey ceiling, dimly lit by long strips of light. He reached out with the Force to sense any immediate threats: nothing.

Despite the intense pain he felt coursing throughout his entire body, he managed to lift himself up so that he was seated on his bed. Looking around the room, he realized that it was completely empty, apart from his bed and a single sign that read: "STERILE ENVIRONMENT FOR LIFE SUPPORT RECOVERY".

As he read the sign, he started to piece together what had happened and where he was likely to be. He brought his hands up to his face but nothing came to touch the scarred, pale flesh of his cheeks. Looking down, he saw that both his arms stopped just below the elbow, ending in a charred and scarified stump. His eyes fell on his legs. They both ended below the knee, dangling weakly over the side of the bed.

Darth Vader looked on, powerless, at what was left of his body without his prosthetic limbs and life support suit. His skin was an unnatural, sickly white, uneven patches of yellowing skin covered his body, all layered with burn scars and large boils on all parts of his anatomy. He stared in disbelief at his four dismembered appendages, feeling a hot pit of anger welling up in his stomach.

Underneath him, he heard the bed crinkle and break, as if squeezed by an otherworldly force. The wall of the room groaned and creaked, moving inwards until the pressure was too strong and it busted a large tear, letting out a hissing stream of pressurized gas.

Instantly, Vader felt his lungs burn up and tense up. It was like a fire had been set inside his chest, every breath he drew only made the pain more intense and debilitating. As Vader tried to calm his breathing, a doctor dressed in a white gown and wearing a breathing mask, entered the room, holding an oxygen tank with a mask in her hand:

"Lord Vader you mustn't…"

She didn't have time to finish her sentence as she felt herself being picked up, an intense pressure squeezing down around her windpipe. She gasped for breath, looking with pleading eyes at the limbless figure on the bed who stared back without a shred of empathy.

"Lord Vader!" another voice called out.

The Sith Lord released his hold on the doctor, who fell to the ground and immediately ran out of the room, terrified.

Vader looked emotionlessly at the man who'd just entered the room: his Master, Darth Sidious. His dark cloak and hood enveloped his entire body, revealing only his twisted smile, the rest of his face remaining shrouded in darkness.

"Master…" Vader said. His tone was neither a greeting, nor a surprise. It was a drawn out growl that left its recipient completely indifferent.

Sidious walked slowly up to Vader's bedside. Deliberately taking every step, as though he had all the time in the world. When he finally reached the edge of the bed, his eyes contemplated the inert body of his apprentice.

"Such weakness," he stated simply. "For all your power, you still rely on machines and science to keep you alive. How disappointing."

"Master… help me…" Vader could barely manage to choke out any words. He had no way to wet his lips or his tongue, in addition to the excruciating pain that accompanied every breath he took.

"I do not believe you deserve it, Lord Vader," Sidious stated simply, the corners of his mouth barely moving as he spoke those words. "You failed to kill Kenobi. Twice. And now, the weapon that would have assured peace and order in my Empire has been destroyed. I fear you are no longer worthy to be my apprentice."

"I am not… let me prove…" Vader's voice was barely above a whisper. He couldn't speak anymore; he was barely holding on to consciousness.

"I know of a way you may prove your worth," Sidious spoke evenly, a malicious grin spreading across his face. He leaned in close to Vader's ear and whispered in a snake-like tone: "Show me your will."

Sidious took a step away from Vader, extended both his hands from the folds of his cape and let out a flurry of Force lightning directly onto the body of his apprentice.

Vader's entire body curled up from the intense pain. He completely forgot about his inability to breathe, this was infinitely worst. It was like his entire body was repeatedly being dragged over crushed glass. Vader let out a blood-curdling scream, projecting his anger and suffering out through the Force.

The pain disappeared as suddenly as it had started. As Vader attempted to calm his breathing, he felt an oxygen mask slip over his face, offering sweet relief to his withered lungs. Palpatine laid a cold hand on his apprentice's forehead, watching with a smile as Vader's breathing settled back to its familiar rhythm.

"Your will is still intact. Good," Palpatine spoke in a low, raspy tone. "You will continue your mission, Lord Vader. The Rebellion has become emboldened by their recent victory. We must assert that the Empire is still the dominant force in the galaxy. I trust you are up to the challenge."

A few harrowing seconds of silence passed between the two men. Around them lay a scene of utter destruction. All the priceless medical equipment was reduced to crushed pieces of scrap metal alongside the lifeless bodies of medical personnel who weren't able to get clear in time. Vader replied in a muted tone:

"Yes, my Master."

Palpatine smiled sadistically before making his way towards the exit to the medical center. A few feet away from the door, he turned back.

"I sensed a different presence onboard the Death Star," Palpatine spoke evenly. "Not yours, or Kenobi's, or any of the other rabble that now follows him. No, this was someone else. A familiar presence, brimming with potential, as you once were. Do you know who it was?"

The silence again chilled the room.

"No, my master," Vader replied with the same submissive tone as earlier.

Palpatine pursed his lips for a second before turning away from his apprentice. Just as he crossed the door, he stopped and spoke in a voice dripping with malice and evil:

"As a precaution, I will now have direct control over your suit's life support settings. However, I trust this will prove an unnecessary measure."

Palpatine left the room, as the new medical staff started preparing Vader's prosthetics and life support suit.

* * *

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka sat side by side in silence, looking out over the vast expanse of lush forests that covered most of Yavin 4's surface. They were in a half-meditation, using to Force to commune with the planet's nature and help calm their minds.

Obi-Wan looked over to the young woman by his side, and at her bandaged lekku. She hadn't said anything about the entire incident on the Death Star but Obi-Wan knew it had to be eating away at her. He felt the same.

"Will it grow back?" Obi-Wan asked, shifting his gaze back towards the endless forests.

"Slowly, yes," Ahsoka replied, implicitly understanding what he was referring to. "It'll take time but…"

She couldn't finish her sentence; Obi-Wan heard her try to hold back her tears and keeping up her emotional balance in the Force. The old master passed his arm gently over her shoulder and held her close. The young Togruta leaned against him and they both tightened their grips onto each other, reassuring themselves that everything would turn out alright in the end.

Ahsoka separated from Obi-Wan and ran both her hands down his arms, grasping his right hand in her left, and holding onto the sleeve of his tunic where his left hand should have been. Pulling the fabric up revealed a bandaged stump a couple of inches below the elbow. Ahsoka did her best to hold back her tears as she gently ran her hand around the base of the wound.

"I don't know why you refuse to accept a prosthetic," Ahsoka said in a low voice.

"Perhaps for the same reason you won't try to disguise your lekku," Obi-Wan replied with a small smile. His tone became more serious as he held up what remained of his left arm. "I see it as penance, for my arrogance. I wanted to save Anakin, yet I may have pushed him out of our reach for good."

"That's not true, master," Ahsoka bit back, her anger flaring. "Palpatine lured him to the Dark Side. Not you. You shouldn't punish yourself for something you can't control."

Obi-Wan waited for Ahsoka to regain control of her emotions. His voice was calm and steady:

"When Anakin lost his arm it only made him tip further away from the Light. He always felt that the other Jedi could never truly understand how he felt as the Chosen One, and now with a severed arm, that was even truer. He replaced it with a more powerful arm, perhaps to compensate for how powerless he'd felt against Count Dooku during our first duel. That arm was like an inescapable shadow, a constant reminder of how his power had been underutilized, and that if maybe he'd been stronger, he wouldn't have lost it, or Gui-Gon, or his mother… I still believe he can be turned, but I cannot be the one to do it. Hopefully, this injury will also convince the Rebel Alliance's high command to transfer me to less… physically enduring tasks."

Ahsoka couldn't hold back a soft chuckle.

"So this is all to get yourself out of combat duty?" she mused. "I know you're not planning on stopping your training, especially not with this new batch of students you've taken on."

"Don't remind me," Obi-Wan said with a mock sigh.

As they shared a good-natured laugh, they heard the door to their room open. They both turned around to see Rex walk in, his worried expression creating all sorts of ridges and lines of tension across his aged face. His bushy white beard was gone, making way for a clean shaved appearance that reminded Obi-Wan and Ashoka of how he'd looked during the Clone Wars.

"It's good to see you feeling better, sir," the old Clone acknowledged with a nod. He smiled over to Ahsoka who did a quick spin, bringing into view her injured lekku. "You too, Ahsoka. "Mon Mothma invites you both to join the awards ceremony that's about to take place."

"Not to be honored I hope?" Obi-Wan asked with his trademark smirk and inquiring tone.

"As per your request, the only recipients will be Luke, Solo, and Chewbacca," Rex said. "You should have seen the High Commands faces when they realized they'd have to make a medal for a two-meter-tall Wookie."

"They'll need a ladder to put it around his neck." Ahsoka joked.

All three friends shared a much-needed laugh. After years, decades of fighting, they all knew that a world without laughter was not a world worth fighting for.

"Let me get dressed and I'll be right down," Obi-Wan told Rex as the old master went to find his Jedi robes.

"Yeah give us our privacy, Rex," Ahsoka scowled sarcastically, shooing him towards the door. "I think you need to tell the High Command how stupid it is to remain on Yavin now that the Empire knows there's a base here."

"I guess 'celebration' comes before 'being-annihilated-by-a-fleet-of-Star-Destroyers' in their mind," Rex said jokingly as he exited the room, leaving the two Jedi to get ready for the ceremony.

* * *

Vader stood motionless as the remaining tribe members were gathered at the center of their village. His arms were crossed, his imposing silhouette posing a stark contrast against the white of the snow-covered planet he'd been sent to.

Fraze was one of many Outer-Rim worlds the Empire had colonized because of its abundance of natural resources, in this case: Tibanna gas. However, over the past few weeks, the warriors of the native tribes, known as the Tuyees had carried out sabotage missions on Imperial installations, slowing down the production line and causing many casualties.

The Emperor had personally dispatched Vader and the 501st Legion to make sure the attacks stopped and the natives were neutralized. After much painful investigation through the harsh winter climate, Vader and his troops had finally found the Tuyees' home base. Since they'd managed to catch them off guard, the fighting didn't last long.

All the Tuyees were huddled together, stoically taking the Snowtroopers shouts and threats. Their white faces matched the snow around them, only distinguishable by streaks of purple that formed different patterns on their faces. They were underdressed compared to Vader's troops but since they'd spent hundreds of years living on such an unforgiving planet, it wasn't really a surprise that they'd develop a resistance to the cold.

Vader impassively cast his eyes over the couple hundred Tuyees before him. He saw the terror in the eyes of the women and children, the resignation in the eyes of the elders, and the unflinching defiance in the eyes of the young, the ones who's decided to start this rebellion in the first place. The latter were kept apart from the others, bound and under heavy guard since even now they tried to break free of their restraints.

Vader's troop-commander approached him, gave a brief salute and delivered his report:

"Lord Vader, we've searched the entire village and have found no other natives. However, we did find this…"

He gestured over to two of his men who brought forward a large weapons crate containing several high-powered rifles, explosives and climbing gear. But what truly made Vader's anger flare was the seal of the Rebel Alliance stamped on the top of it.

"How many more are there?" Vader asked.

"About ten crates or so." the head-commander replied.

"Destroy them," Vader ordered, his tone carrying a deathly hollow tone.

"Yes my Lord." the head-commander nodded and went away to direct his men.

As he left, a squad captain approached Vader. He delivered a similar salute before saying:

"Lord Vader, a native who claims to be the village elder wishes to speak with you. He says he wishes to negotiate for his people's safety."

Vader shot a glance towards the large group of Tuyee and noticed one who was standing. He had long, wispy white hair that fells to his shoulders. His posture carried the slouch of old age which he corrected with a wooden cane, no doubt an important relic since wood was nearly impossible to find on Fraze. He wore a long woven stole, draped over both his shoulder and falling just below his knees. All the Tuyee around him looked at him with discrete reverence and a glimmer of hope.

"Bring him over," Vader told the squad captain.

"Yes my Lord."

He walked towards the waiting elder as Vader looked in the direction of the young Tuyees who eyed him and his men with nothing but contempt and hatred. There were only about thirty of them but they managed to inflict considerable damage to the Empire's refineries. Vader had been certain that they couldn't have carried out those attacks without outside help, and those crates had confirmed his suspicions. Now all he needed was the person who'd delivered them.

Vader turned to two Snowtroopers who were bringing forward the village elder. His aged eyes didn't waver as he looked up at the towering dark body in front of him, breathing out intermittent puffs of vapor from the slits in his mask.

There was silence between them for several seconds before Vader simply said:

"Speak."

The old Tuyee bowed slightly as if to thank him for letting him have a voice before him. Though he spoke a dialect unique to Fraze, Vader was still able to understand him thanks to the translator that had been built into his new suit. Every word the elder spoke was immediately translated into Basic inside Vader's helmet.

"_I thank you, dark warrior, for not inflicting death and pain upon my people. And though I know it will not bring back the dead, nor cure your animosity towards us, I profoundly apologize for the actions that a few of our brothers have taken. But please understand that most that are here are innocent in these matters. We housed them and fed them because they are our people but we never condoned their reckless and senseless actions. I implore you, oh dark warrior, show our souls mercy. Whatever punishment we must face; we are all prepared to accept."_

"_Like hell we are!"_ one of the young warriors shouted. His comrades cheered on his protest before being quickly silenced by a rifle butt to the back of the head from the Snowtroopers guarding them.

"_Keep quiet boy!_" the old man chastised him briskly.

"_We do not fear these_ Hashams_, father_," the translator wasn't able to find what Hasham meant but Vader could assume it wasn't a praise. "_They must pay for what they've inflicted upon Mother Geisha._"

"He's your son?" Vader asked the old man, interrupting their argument.

Vader's words had been translated and emitted from his mask the dialect of the Tuyees which the elder understood, looking towards the ground, his eyes in pain.

"_He is."_ the elder confessed. "_His name is Karzis. It means 'one who melts the snow'."_

Vader breathed out a few puffs of vapor as he observed Karzis, the leader of the rebels, through his red-tinted lenses.

In a flash, the Dark Lord reached out with the Force and picked Karzis up by his neck, leaving him dangling several feet in the air, gasping for breath as the rest of his tribe looked on in terror and despair. They pleaded for Vader to let him go, but Vader simply stepped forward, addressing the entire Tuyee tribe.

"I know you are harboring agents of the Rebellion," Vader's voice cut through the chatter of the natives like a scythe. "Tell me where they are and perhaps I will show mercy and spare this boy's life."

The Tuyees all started shouting, begging for Vader to stop, however, the younger ones only insulted and cursed him with more fervor. The Village Elder dropped down on both knees, his forehead pressed against the snow, reciting prayers and begging for Vader's mercy.

Vader's eyes moved over the different members of the Tuyee tribe before finally settling on the young man he was holding up in the air. His white complexion was starting to turn purple from the lack of oxygen, his eyes glazing over. Vader released his hold on the Karzis' neck but kept a firm grasp on the rest of his body with the Force, rendering him immobile.

"Where are they?" Vader asked monotonically, not a shred of empathy in his voice.

"Ratto oct tuv, Hasham!" the young warrior replied fiercely before spitting directly onto Vader's helmet.

It seemed like time had slowed to a crawl. That single spit seemed to last an eternity as everyone realized the severity of what had happened. The captured Tuyees all shouted and cursed Karzis' foolishness as the Village Elder bowed at Vader's feet and continued to apologize. The other young Tuyees predictably cheered their leader on, also spitting into the snow in Vader's direction. Even Vader's own troops got visibly edgy, being fully aware that Vader would never forgive this sort of slight.

Vader didn't do anything for several seconds. He couldn't feel it but he imagined the spit on his helmet slowly tracing a line of fluid till it eventually ran out of substance or fell off the edge of his helmet. He watched the young boy's smug grin, pleased to have shown his rebellious spirit to the end.

In one swift move of his wrist, Vader ignited his lightsaber and cut the young man's legs clean off. The way his face turned from proud to terrified and suffering filled Vader with a strange sense of glee and satisfaction. His two severed limbs fell to the ground and all hell broke loose.

The young man's cries of pain and the Tuyees' cries of terror and anger formed together into a torturous cacophony of screams.

"That's enough!" a voice called out over the chaos.

All eyes turned to the new arrival, the younger Tuyee seeming to recognize him while everyone else watched him incredulously. The man wore a heavy winter coat but underneath it, a white and orange Clone armor could be seen. His features, excluding a long scar that stretched along the left side of his face, matched the template of the Kaminoan Clones bred during the Clone Wars.

The surrounding Snowtroopers all aimed their weapons at him, but the old Clone simply held his hands up and stepped towards Vader, his gaze unwavering and without fear.

"Let him go," he spoke evenly. "I'm the one you want."

Vader paused for several seconds before disengaging his lightsaber. However, he didn't loosen his grip on the elder's son.

"What is your designation?" Vader asked.

"CC-2224. Most people call me Cody."

Vader paused again, weighing this new information. If this had been any other Clone, he would have cut him down on the spot or choked him until he crushed his neck vertebrae, but Vader couldn't bring himself to do it. He tilted his head towards his men who put Cody in cuffs and stood guard over him.

Vader had what he'd come for. Now he could leave…

The Dark Lord looked back to the still hovering, legless body of the young Tuyee warrior. He was barely conscious, muttering strange words that his father repeated as well.

Vader reignited his lightsaber, and in one swift motion, cut the Tuyees body from shoulder to waist, letting his severed corpse fall to the ground.

"Kill them all." Vader told his commander, his tone cold and distant.

The commander had to move closer to give his response over the unbearable cries and screams. Cody wrestled against the guards who held ààhim away; the other Tuyee warriors were doing the same.

"You fucking monster!" Cody yelled.

"Ratto oct tuv, Hasham!" the Tuyees screamed, not just the younger ones.

Vader's commander leaned in closer to Vader to ask:

"Sir, the enemy has surrendered. Any further hostilities towards them would be a direct violation of the rules of engagement— "

He couldn't finish his sentence as he felt he was having difficulty breathing. He grasped for his throat as Vader towered over him, eyeing him through the cold lenses of his mask.

"Eliminate them, or I will do it myself; with you and your troops alongside them."

Vader released the commander and watched as he wordlessly gave the order to his men. The Dark Lord watched unflinchingly the carnage that took place over the next couple of minutes.

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**FINITO EMILIO! (not sure what that was…)**

**So yeah… stuff happened pretty much. Any and all thoughts are welcome. Favorites and follows are really appreciated.**

**Next chapter will be here in under a month… hopefully… don't quote me.**


	10. Old Friend

**HELLO THERE! Welcome to another chapter of Never Too Old When You Have the High Ground. It's been a while, but I think I should be able to make uploads more regular and frequent now that my other BM/WW fanfiction has been completed (as usual, no promises ;)**

**This chapter could be considered filler-esque. It's sort of a bridge between chap 9 which was pretty hardcore and chapter 11 which I hope will have some good action and stuff happening.**

**Before I answer any comments from my last chapter, I just want to say for the record that I will be modifying slightly an established character's story (mainly the fact that he's alive here, even though he's supposed to be dead in cannon). So yeah, if you're wondering 'but wait, that guy died", here's your answer.**

**Also, did anybody see the new Mandalorian trailer! Holy heck I'm excited! It's annoying I still need to wait for Disney + to reach Europe. I NEED CLONE WARS SEASON 7 NOW!**

**Alright! COMMENTS TIME!**

**BIGTLKSWFAN: Thanks so much! I'm really glad to hear you're enjoying it. I have so many ideas for how far I want to take the story down the line. I hope you stick with me till then because I really want to see it through to the end. Might take a while, but it'll be fun ;)**

**RKF22: Funny you should ask ;) I can't promise we'll see Obi-Wan's power in this chapter, but chap 11, I've got an idea for some nice crazy Force power use. Got to keep the balance of powerful and unbeatable.**

**Alright, I've answered all comments, either publically or via PM. Without further ado do, let's get chapter 11 out there!**

**Enjoy and please favorite, follow and comment!**

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_Several weeks after the Battle of Yavin…_

Obi-Wan felt completely at peace. He was in tune with his surroundings. Any errant thoughts were banished from his mind allowing him to focus entirely on feeling the Force around him. He felt a slight disturbance, the brief flash of a Force presence. _Above!_

Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber, just in time to block an attack from Ezra. The young padawan ground his teeth at seeing Obi-Wan so easily block his strike while keeping his eyes closed.

"Do not let impatience give away your position, Ezra," Obi-Wan rebuked, pushing the boy's blade back. "Against an accomplished Force user, even a half-a-second is enough for them to know where you are."

As he said this, Obi-Wan swung his blade behind him where it connected with another blue lightsaber. A sharp yelp of surprise followed, as the saber's owner took several steps back and set her stance in an aggressive defense.

Obi-Wan disengaged his lightsaber and opened his eyes. Without a word, the two students deactivated their own sabers, bowed to Obi-Wan and returned to sit with the others. Ezra had been paired with a human girl several years older than him. Her name was Kiko Buyana and she was one of many new young Jedi who had joined the Resistance over the past few weeks.

Obi-Wan addressed the small group of padawans sitting in front of him:

"Be mindful of your presence. Once, a Jedi only concealed his Force presence when fighting another Force user, but now, it must become as natural as breathing. While we are together on this ship, I can help mask your presence, but I will not always be here. Concentrate, breath, focus on your presence in the Force, and like smoke, let it disappear. Let it blend away into the living Force that surrounds you. Only once you have mastered this technique will your Jedi training be able to continue."

The group of students all nodded glumly, understanding the importance of masking their presence but frustrated at how hard it was to maintain complete invisibility in the Force.

Obi-Wan smiled at his ambitious padawans and kneeled in front of them so they were at eye level.

"It took me months to completely conceal my Force presence," he said reassuringly. "You have made more progress over these past weeks than I would ever have dreamed possible. Do not get frustrated about having to master the fundamentals. After all, even a Master isn't perfect."

For emphasis, Obi-Wan showed them all his severed left hand which was covered by the folded up sleeve of his Jedi tunic. The young padawans bowed their heads reverently, embarrassed that they'd let their emotions be so visible.

"Alright then," Obi-Wan announced, clapping his hand on his knee and rising to his feet. "That'll be all for today. Continue to practice and make sure you get in a least one hour with the training remote per day. Class dismissed."

All the padawans smiled and got up, breaking away into small groups or alone, each heading towards a different exit of the large hangar they were all in.

Obi-Wan turned around to look at the vast expanse of space on the other side of the hangar shields. He let his mind wander, thinking about the different people that were currently out there, somewhere among these millions and billions of stars and planets.

Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca and Rex were together on a sabotage mission. Obi-Wan had hesitated about letting Luke go on a mission without him but the boy had progressed so fast in his training and Obi-Wan didn't want him to feel he was holding back his potential. That was one painful mistake Obi-Wan was still dealing with to this day.

Hera, Sabine, Kanan, Zeb and Chopper were also on a mission, though it was a diplomatic one this time around. Another world had expressed the wish to support the Rebellion, so the Ghost crew had been sent to conduct a meeting and determine what aid they could bring to the Rebel Alliance. Obi-Wan had been able to have some one-on-one time with Kanan, during which they'd meditated together and helped him come to grip with his past, as well as train him in some more advanced Force techniques.

Ahsoka was currently working closely with the Rebel Alliance's recon team, helping them find a new world to set up their secret base. She was trying to find one that also shared a strong connection to the Force, since it would be beneficial to the fledgling Jedi they were training, but could also be some of the first planets the Empire would search.

Obi-Wan had thought about Anakin a lot. After his conversation with Yoda, he had often meditated to try and sense where his fallen apprentice was and what he was doing. However, it seemed that Anakin was as proficient with hiding his Force signature as Obi-Wan was. He had been able to sense vague tremors and flashes but nothing concrete that would allow him to find him. Even if he could figure out where he was, Obi-Wan knew that he had lost the right to try to reclaim Anakin from the Dark Side. It would have to be someone else, someone who shared a unique relationship with him, and who had no idea he even shared that relationship with him…

_What an old fool I've been_, Obi-Wan ruminated.

"Well, well! If it isn't Obi-Wan Kenobi!" a gruff, old-sounding voice barked from the other end of the hangar.

Obi-Wan let out a low sigh before turning towards the speaker. Walking towards him was a grey-haired man, whose face was covered in small scars. His eyes were a milky grey, indicating partial or complete blindness. He was dressed in militia battle fatigues and carried a lightsaber on his belt. On either side of him was the most unlikely pair of individuals. A blond human woman dressed in the worn-out remains of an Imperial officer's uniform, and a short-haired man, carrying two lightsabers on his belt, dressed in a strange patchwork of leather and brown wool fabric.

Behind these three, were about thirty men and women, dressed in green combat gear and armed to the teeth. While some of their equipment was similar to other Resistance fighters, their experience and strength were incomparable. They carried the scars and weathered faces of soldiers who'd seen and done things that would drive normal people insane. They were raw steel that had been beaten into shape by war to become one of the most proficient fighting forces in the galaxy.

And the man who led them, and who'd led some of them since the Clone Wars, was Rham Kota. One of the few Jedi who'd rejected the idea of using the Clone army of the Republic and had instead formed his own militia under his direct command. It was, therefore, no surprise that he had survived Order 66.

"So you finally decided to get in on this crusade of ours," Kota asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he stalked up to Obi-Wan. The man and woman stayed at his side, while the rest of his troops broke away to eat or rest.

"It's good to see you Rham," Obi-Wan said genuinely. "I had sensed your Force presence falter many years ago and feared you'd been killed. I'm glad I was wrong."

Rham sneered at Obi-Wan's concern for his wellbeing. He paced around the old Jedi, looking at him through the Force. The man and woman remained unmoving, looking at Rham with barely concealed fatigue.

"I'm not going to tell you I told you so," Rham spoke evenly. "Truth is I didn't accept to lead the Clones because I didn't like them. I prefer the unadulterated human spirit in battle, rather than test-tube grown clones. But the fact those bastards would lead us here, how the hell could anyone know that?"

Obi-Wan said nothing. He could tell that Rham was venting his anger before he got to what he really wanted to tell him.

"No, if I were to blame you for something, it'd be for being a damn coward." Rham spat out. "We were fighting for our lives! Sacrificed so much to form this Rebellion, all the while you and Yoda hide away in a self-imposed exile! And now we're supposed to open our arms to you? Where were you when our brothers and sisters were cut down by YOUR apprentice, Kenobi?! No, you thought it was more important to meditate and reflect on your failure instead of fighting to right that failure! Give me one reason why I shouldn't cut you down for betraying the Jedi Order and the Rebellion?!"

Rham's yelling had drawn many people to the hangar. Some of Obi-Wan's padawans, Ezra and Kiko, some of Rham's commandos and members of the ship's crew intently watched the confrontation between the two veteran Jedi. Everyone in the room instantly tensed up when Rham purposefully laid his hand in the hilt of his lightsaber.

All the while, Obi-Wan did not budge an inch. The silence in the hangar was crushing as Obi-Wan held Rham's gaze for several seconds before he spoke:

"You are right Rham, I've been a fool. I had to place my duties on Tatooine above my duties to the Order, and as a result many Jedi, whom I perhaps could have saved, have died. It was my arrogance and failure that contributed to my padawan's fall to the Dark Side, who in turn corrupted your own apprentice Galan Marek and set him out to kill more Jedi."

Galen, the young man, clenched his fists and looked to the ground, remembering the Jedi he'd mercilessly cut down, all to please his Master: Darth Vader. He felt his pain and sorrow dissolve into the Force as Juno Eclipse, the former Imperial officer, grasped his hand and laid her head against his temple. The woman who had saved him from the darkness, and since recently, his wife.

Obi-Wan could sense the closeness of their Force presences, as well as the surprise and frustration he felt coming from Rham. He continued:

"Perhaps I have no right to be here... Perhaps what you see as cowardice gives me no right to serve in this Rebellion. But it was never meant to be comprised of perfect individuals. It was formed to gather those who wished to fight against the tyrannical order that has oppressed the galaxy. No matter if you are a smuggler, an old hermit, a Dark Lord's apprentice or a blind and drunk Jedi who's given up on everything."

Obi-Wan emphasized those last words as he looked at Rham, who listened to him with an inscrutable expression.

"As long as you are willing to fight for freedom and justice, you have a place in the Rebellion." Obi-Wan finished.

Around him, everyone nodded in agreement. Their eyes were now on Rham who let the silence sit for several seconds before letting out a boisterous laugh and wrapping Obi-Wan in a tight hug.

"Good to see those years spent on that sandy hellhole were for something." he joked.

"Good to see you haven't lost your affinity for memorable reunions."

The two men exchanged a laugh as everyone else started to disperse, seeing that everything was alright.

Rham went to reach out for Obi-Wan's hand until he realized it wasn't there. He let out a sigh before leading Obi-Wan over to Galen and Juno.

"I'd like you to meet Galen and Juno," Rham said. Obi-Wan shook hands with both of them who smiled back at him. "Though he doesn't like me saying it, Galen essentially started the Rebellion by accident."

"It was a bit more complicated than that." Galen lamented.

"But you were certainly a key founder." Juno added with a smile.

"From the reports I've read, it was you who gave the initial impulse to found the Rebel Alliance," Obi-Wan said. "That isn't nothing."

"Maybe, but it was for all the wrong reasons," Galen spoke slowly, looking sadly at the ground. "Ultimately I wish you luck in saving your apprentice. He may have tortured and manipulated me but I'd be a hypocrite if I said he didn't deserve a second chance."

There was a heavy silence after Galen spoke, as they all nodded in agreement. Juno was the first to speak:

"Well, gentlemen! After such a long and arduous mission, I feel I deserve a shower and a massage. Give me a hand will you, Galen."

"Which part do you need help with?" he asked with a slight smirk.

"Maybe I'll let you rub my feet." Juno shot back a slight grin as they both left for their quarters after giving a respectful bow to Rham and Obi-Wan.

"And I've still got to give my report to the Alliance High Command." Kota lamented with a sigh. "Man, I miss the days when I was the one who called all the shots. Someone else did the reports." Kota clapped Obi-Wan on the back before walking towards the main exit from the hangar. "Take care Kenobi. Catch you later."

"See you soon, Rham." Obi-Wan acknowledged, watching the blind Jedi leave the hangar.

_Our numbers grow by the day, _Obi-Wan thought proudly. _The tide is slowly turning in our favor._

"Clear the landing zone!" a hangar engineer called out several feet behind Obi-Wan. "Incoming ship."

Obi-Wan watched the approaching starship and immediately recognized the Millenium Faulcon. The old Master waited for the ship to finish its landing maneuver before approaching the boarding ramp to greet its passengers.

Han and Chewie were the first ones out, joking with each other about who was the hero of the mission. Their banter let Obi-Wan breathe a sigh of relief. They wouldn't be this cheerful if something had gone wrong.

When the two smugglers saw Obi-Wan waiting to greet them, Chewie let out a guttural roar of joy that echoed across the hangar and grabbed Obi-Wan in a "larger-than-a-bear-hug". The old Master responded to the Wookiee's greeting with equal enthusiasm and strength.

They had both had a strong connection since after the battle of Yavin when Obi-Wan had told Chewie he had studied under Master Yoda. The Wookie knew the former Grand Master well, having been by his side at the battle of Kashyk during the Clone Wars and helping him escape after Order 66. Obi-Wan and Chewie had conversed for hours about Yoda, the Old Republic, Kashyk, which Obi-Wan has been to several times, and the state of the galaxy in general.

Though Obi-Wan didn't speak a word of Chewie's language, he found his mode of communication was closely linked to the Force. His words made sense to those the Wookie trusted and considered his friends.

Since then, Obi-Wan and Chewie always greeted each other like old war friends, which in a strange way, they were.

After several seconds of growls, pats and hugs, Han let out a sharp cough.

"Oh don't mind me." the smuggler said with mock outrage. "I guess a hero's welcome isn't what it used to be."

"_Luke was the hero; he gets the welcome." _Chewie groaned, letting go of Obi-Wan to deliver the Wookie equivalent of a smirk to Han.

"Yeah the kid was good, but that's because he had a great leader." Han retorted. "Don't start putting him on a pedestal Chewie. He'll get complacent."

"_Oh no. One over-inflated ego is already enough."_ the Wookie joked, letting out a grumbling laugh.

"Alright fur ball. Next time, you lead the mission. See how easy it is." Han said to the Wookie with a glare. He turned to Obi-Wan, exchanging a firm handshake with the old Jedi. "How you doing, Ben?"

"Just finished a training session with the padawans and reunited with an old friend," Obi-Wan replied. "I trust the mission went well?"

"The Empire won't be producing any TIE Fighters from that place for a while, that's for sure." the smuggler replied with a smirk. "Hopefully that'll keep the princess off my case for a while."

"If you're going to talk behind my back, at least try to act like you're hiding it." Leia's voice spoke from over Han's shoulder. The princess joined the group, shooting a sharp glare towards the smuggler who simply rolled his eyes. Leia's expression immediately turned into a bright smile as she turned to Obi-Wan and the exchanged an embrace.

"It's so good to see you again, general Kenobi," she said, her gaze growing sad as her hand fell on Obi-Wan severed arm. "I still can't convince you to use a prosthetic?"

"A penance is born for life, your highness. Otherwise, it is just an inconvenience." Obi-Wan spoke with a kind smile.

Leia nodded slowly before refocusing her attention on Han.

"Alright mister team leader, shall we go deliver our report?" Leia asked rhetorically.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, princess." Han ground out through a fake smile.

Without another word, they both stalked off towards the bridge of the ship, a two-meter gap between them.

"_Humans do enjoy playing with their food rather than eating it._" Chewie said with a laugh as he clapped Obi-Wan on the shoulder and headed off to his quarters.

Obi-Wan didn't want to dwell too much on the subtext of the Wookiee's metaphor, so he was glad to see Rex and Luke disembarked the Faulcon.

"Good to see you, general," Rex spoke, straightening up and giving a salute. "Anything happen while we were away?"

Obi-Wan sighed inwardly. He had eventually stopped trying to correct people who called him general. If it made people comfortable to give him a title, so be it.

"Certainly not as much excitement as you all, it seems," Obi-Wan said with a smirk, running his hand through his beard, which he realized he hadn't shaved in a while. He nodded to Luke who smiled and gave a slight bow. "Ahsoka is busy searching for our new base, and the rest of the Ghost crew are still on a mission."

"How about the training of the padawans?" Luke asked.

Obi-Wan took a minute to appreciate the transformation in Luke's skills and character over the past several weeks. While he had all the impatience and impetuousness of a boy his age, he was at least aware of it and always tried to take the pragmatic approach to a problem.

Luke's Force abilities and lightsabre skills were also developing well. He wasn't even close to being able to face a proficient Force user in combat, but against most of the Empire's troops, he was evenly matched.

"We are close to having everyone up to speed on masking their Force presence," Obi-wan said. "After that, I will be able to start teaching them fighting styles and Force techniques. How about you, Luke? Have you been minding your training?"

Luke looked away, clearly embarrassed by something. Obi-Wan noticed him tightening his hand around his arm.

"You were injured." Obi-Wan stated, matter-of-factly.

Luke glanced up, surprised that he'd been able to see through him so clearly. Embarrassed, he removed his hand to reveal a shallow cut on his left arm.

"It was the end of the mission; we were heading back to the—" Rex began.

"It was a lucky shot, Ben. One in a million." Luke explained.

"Luke, one in million is more than enough if that laser bolt's destination is on your forehead. There is no such thing as a lucky shot."

Luke did not answer. His shame was mixing in with anger, which he quickly let fizzle away. He was smart enough to know that that anger was directed at himself, not Obi-Wan. He had been reckless, overconfident, and had been humbled twice: once from the wound, and once by Obi-Wan.

The old Master sighed and placed a firm hand on Luke's shoulder. They locked eyes.

"Dying a hero and dying a fool is too often the same thing," Obi-Wan spoke gently. "A Jedi protects himself and others and stands for justice and peace. Live by these principals, and let history worry about if you'll be remembered as a hero."

"Alright, Ben." Luke said, nodding his agreement.

Obi-Wan pulled the young man into an embrace with his good arm, which Luke returned.

"I'm glad to see you're safe," Obi-Wan whispered. "Now go get that wound looked at."

Luke nodded, exchanged goodbyes with Rex and left a jog towards the ship's medical bay.

"Is it strange if I had flashes of déjà vu, general?" Rex asked with a smirk.

"No, Rex. It appears the shuura does not fall far from the tree." Obi-Wan replied.

Both men shared a soft laugh, but Obi-Wan sensed something was troubling the old Clone.

"Something on your mind?"

"I stumbled across some… worrying intel during our mission, sir. It's about Vader. Well… partly."

Obi-Wan stiffened when Rex mentioned his name. He turned cautiously towards the Clone who continued his explanation:

"He decimated a native uprising on Fraze. It's an important Tibanna Gas producer and a small Rebel cell was providing the locals with equipment and weapons to sabotage the refineries. But Vader tracked them back to their home village, massacred them, and burned beyond recognition. He took only one prisoner: the Rebel who supported the insurrection."

"I gather it's someone we know." Obi-Wan said carefully.

"I hope that I'm wrong, sir, but I think it was Commander Cody. He's being held in the Citadel on Lola Sayu. I don't know if he's still alive."

_Cody…_

Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to calmly assimilate all this new information but he couldn't and didn't have to. He knew exactly what needed to be done. Obi-Wan kept his anger at bay, but his voice carried an aggressive edge:

"We broke into that infernal place once, and we'll damned well do it again."


	11. Bonds of Duty

**Hello there! Welcome to chapter 11 of Never Too Old When You Have the High Ground!**

**I realize that chap 10 was a bit of a strange transition from the chapter that preceded it and disappointed some people. I won't apologize or anything, jut reassure you that I've got ideas I'm really excited to develop in chap 12 and some of them are setup in this chapter.**

**After looking over some of the exchanges and character dynamics in this chapter, I realize that one in particular feels like it transitions in a way that's a bit too sudden or forced. I told myself it could make sense in a certain way, but it also feels out of left field. Anyway, I'll talk about it at the end once you've read it.**

**Now let's answer some comments!**

**-RKF22: Thanks so much! I was really happy to be able to include the Force Unleashed characters. It always bothered me that they weren't more explored. I hope I'll be able to bring them into the story later on as well.**

**-Midwinter's-Night-Dream-86: *****borrows the megaphone*****: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! **

**Yeah Obi-Wan is easily one of my my favourite SW characters, and I was always frustrated that there weren't more "old Obi-Wan" fanfics. **

**The whole "Ashoka"/"Ahsoka" debacle also drives me insane. I only realized part way through how her name was actually spelt. I'll try to go back and correct it. **

**I'm glad the transition fooled at least for a little bit, it was the goal. I like switching perspectives to break away from the familiar setting, and there's a cool one that happens in this chapter that I like. Tell me what you think ;). **

**Obi-Wan will continue to be the Jedi we all love, and I hope he'll really get to shine in this "mini-arc" of chapters 11 and 12.**

**-gdvp111: I somewhat agree in retrospect that last chapter lacked some of the polish of its predecessors and it was definitely in part due to me wanting to put it out fast. Yeah the whole Resistance/Rebel Alliance mix-up is a lot like the Ashoka/Ahsoka one. I'll do my best to keep it as consistent as possible.**

**I see what you mean about showing Obi-Wan recruit and train Jedi. That definitely isn't off the table for later. Since 3 years pass between ep 4 and 5 I want to make sure not to do big time jumps until I'm sure I place all the story elements I want between the events of 4 and 5 (which will be modified from the movie's events of course but still retain some of the original locations and events).**

**The relationship between Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker is again something I didn't handle in the most graceful way. Especially considering they are supposed to be 2 different people in Luke's mind. I guess I see it that Force users can recognize his Force presence and therefore know that Vader is Anakin, like it would make sense for Rahm to know. But you're right, they shouldn't discuss that within earshot of everyone else.**

**Yeah… Lola Sayu… I'll let you read and tell me what you think ;)**

**And as for the time travel thing, that's for much later. Nothing to worry about for now ;)**

**-Genesis09: Thanks a lot, I'm really glad you like it so far. Concerning Rham and Obi-Wan addressing themselves differently, I guess I just went for what sounded best. I just felt that Kota's attitude made it more logical for him to address Obi-Wan by his last name. But they still respect each other, despite the way they address each other.**

**Concerning Obi-Wan's reaction to Cody's capture, I think I address it in this chapter. Please tell me if I treated it adequately or not.**

**I love writing this fanfic, and I hope you continue to enjoy it too. Thanks so much for the support.**

**All right well that's it for the comments, so I propose to move directly to what we're all here for. Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy chapter 11 of Never Too Old When You Have the High Ground! Please favourite, comment and follow.**

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"General Kenobi, we're approaching Lola Sayu," Juno Eclipse called over her shoulder. She slowed their approach and killed the engines to avoid being prematurely detected.

Obi-Wan moved up to the glass of the cockpit to look at the broken volcanic planet he'd helped Master Peel escape from during the Clone Wars. Back then, the Citadel was a prison meant to hold and break Jedi. Now, it was mainly used for holding and interrogating high-value prisoners.

Obi-Wan was glad they had been able to leave the Rebel fleet so quickly. He hadn't wanted to run this by the Rebel High Command since he knew they'd either refuse or debate it for so long, Cody would be dead by the time they reached a decision. Thankfully, Juno had agreed to transport them to Lola Sayu, and Rahm had offered that some of his commandos accompany them.

The planet hadn't changed much in twenty years. It was still effectively half a planet, fissured by streams of molten lava, and dotted with craters and volcanos spurting out combustible gasses. Its aesthetic was a good symbol of everything that happened on it. Death and suffering were the only things that Lola Sayu was synonymous with. A broken world that broke anyone who was brought to it.

"Thank you, captain," Obi-Wan nodded to Juno. He pointed to a giant canyon that ran along a third of the planet like a scar. "Take us in slowly and make for that ravine. It should provide us with sufficient cover."

"Copy that, general." Juno switched the power back on and diverted most of it to the on-board cloaking shield. The _Rogue Shadow _was one of the most covert ships in the entire Rebel fleet. Since Juno was a former Imperial, she knew all the best ways to sneak past their defences.

Obi-Wan proceeded to the back of the ship, where ten of Rahm's commandos were seated. They were as colourful a gang of misfits as Obi-Wan had ever seen. They each carried strange customized weapons, alongside elaborate tattoos and paint works on their armour. Most of them exchanged banter or glared distastefully at Rex, who stared back unflinching.

"You looking at something, Clone?" a burly female soldier growled at Rex. Her name was June You, the platoon's leader. She had short brown hair and a scar that ran from under her left eye, over her nose, to under her right eye.

"I get the feeling you were looking first, soldier." Rex shot back, a threatening gleam in his eyes.

"The hell did you just say to me?" she asked, getting out of her seat, her hand hovering over her blaster.

"Lieutenant You, that's enough," Obi-Wan broke in. He stood in the middle of the troops, eying June with a cool gaze. "If we're going to fight amongst ourselves, we might as well surrender to the Empire."

June held Rex's defiant gaze for several seconds before easing her hand off her holster and turning to Obi-Wan.

"If you're going to bring a goddam Clone with us on this assignment, I'd like to know what it is you're dragging me and my men into." June spoke with a tone that was respectful yet noticeably hostile.

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement and took a couple steps back to address the other commandos.

"We are here to rescue a Rebel spy who has been captured by the Empire," Obi-Wan spoke. "He was helping a native uprising on Fraze and has been brought here to be questioned."

"They brought a Rebel spy to the Citadel?" a gangly looking soldier asked in disbelief. "This guy must know some pretty important stuff if the Empire puts him in their biggest and baddest interrogation prison."

Obi-Wan shot a glance towards Rex who gave him an uncertain look.

"The Rebel spy is a Kaminoan Clone." Obi-Wan announced.

Rex watched impassively as the room devolved into complete pandemonium. The commandos were looking to their neighbours in outrage and to their lieutenant for an explanation.

"Shut up!" June bellowed, silencing everyone in less than two seconds. Obi-Wan was impressed in the level of respect and fear she had instilled in her men.

"Now look here, Jedi," June's voice was like a razor's edge. She turned on Obi-Wan with a piercing glare. "A Clone accompanying us on a mission is one thing. My men risking their lives to RESCUE a Clone?! You're out of your goddam mind!"

"Easy there, lieutenant. Don't make me remind you who you're speaking to." Obi-Wan's voice matched June's. It was calm but carried a clear warning not to push him any further.

June held Obi-Wan's gaze for several seconds, unflinching, before breaking it and taking several steps back.

"Those Clones killed my sister," June ground out. "Hell, they killed most of the Jedi! They probably tried to kill you too, right! And you want to risk your life and ours to save one of them?!"

"My brothers had no control over their actions that day," Rex's voice turned everyone's eyes on him. He stood up and produced a biochip encased in a test tube from his belt. "We were all implanted at birth with an inhibitor chip that could rewire us to do anything we were ordered to do. When Palpatine executed Order 66, those chips activated and millions of Clones murdered their Jedi generals."

"The man we are going to rescue was my second in command during the war," Obi-Wan said. "His name is Cody. He had my back through years of combat. Never once let me down. Together, we liberated worlds, fought back invasions and brought aid to those in need. When I lost my lightsaber during a fight on Utapau, he found it and returned it to me. 'I think you'll be needing this' he said… and less than a minute later, he ordered his men to fire at me. In a split-second, we went from close friends to predator and prey. Nothing can erase what they have done, but they are victims as much as us and I will not let them be used as scapegoats by the one who is truly responsible: Palpatine."

Obi-Wan took two deliberate steps towards June and looked straight into her eyes.

"If you and your men feel this mission is so morally reprehensible, you are welcome to stay with the ship until we get back."

June held Obi-Wan's gaze before turning away to think. The other commandos looked at each other uncertainly.

"We'll help you."

June's men all looked at her, surprised. She turned around to look at Obi-Wan, the menace in her eyes not yet gone.

"But I'm warning you. If it comes down to saving my men or this Clone. I won't hesitate for a second."

Obi-Wan nodded seriously and reached his hand out, which June shook firmly.

"Glad to have you onboard, lieutenant."

* * *

Once they'd landed the _Rogue Shadow_, all the ship's occupants stepped out to stretch their legs after the long journey. Though considering the planet they were on, it wasn't exactly a relaxing stroll. The air was thick with the smell of sulphur, charred rock, and just overwhelming heat. Less than a minute after exiting the ship, everyone was covered in sweat and grime.

The smells and the distinct terrain brought Obi-Wan back to the first and only time he'd been here. Back then, their mission had been a vital one, and they'd almost not made it out alive. The fact that Lola Sayu was a planet covered in lava also brought another planet to mind, but Obi-Wan pushed that memory out of his head. This was no time for distractions.

"Excuse me, general. Mind if I have a word?" Rex's voice broke Obi-Wan away from his thoughts.

"What is it, Rex?" he asked, turning to face him.

Rex couldn't hold Obi-Wan's gaze. His eyes were moving from his, to the ground, and back to his.

"I don't want you to take this the wrong way, sir, but you do know this is a trap?" Rex finally managed to speak out. "What were the chances that I'd overhear that specific piece of information? And Vader is the one who spares Cody after he slaughters all the natives he was helping? And brings him here? One of the Empire's most secure and inescapable prisons."

"What are you saying, Rex?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I'm saying, general…" Rex let out a sigh. "You always talked about how Jedi must never let their judgement be clouded. How that could mean death or worse. Are we risking our lives, and the lives of these commandos, because we let our judgement be clouded? This isn't a deeply important or strategic rescue; we're saving a friend. The Rebel Alliance doesn't even know we're out here. What'll happen if in a couple of days they see general Kenobi being ransomed, or worse, executed for the entire Empire to see? We're running too high a risk, general. And if Cody were here, he'd tell you the same thing."

Obi-Wan paused, taking in Rex's words. He cast his gaze down at the flowing river of lava at the bottom of the ravine. The way it ebbed and flowed, with different textures of molten magma, all merging and swirling together in a rainbow of warm colours. Something so beautiful, yet instantly deadly. Part of something bigger…

"I haven't stopped thinking about it since we left," Obi-Wan finally replied in an even tone. "About how I may be doing something terribly wrong, and that no matter how well I try to plan this rescue, the enemy will have already thought of it and found a way to counter it. That we'll all be surrounded, with no hope of escape or rescue, and it will all have been my fault. I will have let my emotions guide my actions and dealt a crippling blow to the Rebellion's fight against the Empire."

Obi-Wan turned to Rex and locked eyes with his trusted friend.

"I've tried to analyse this every way I know how. Call upon my years of Jedi training to try to find something that could help me say to myself 'this is the right choice!'. 'What would Master Yoda say?', 'What would the Council do?', I kept wondering. And I haven't found an answer, because I believe it is an unanswerable question. Master Yoda once read me a quote, when I was studying as his padawan, from a far-world philosopher, and only now do I fully understand what it meant. "The heart has its reasons, of which reason knows nothing". My logic and reason have taken me as far they can go. This is now only an affair of the heart. I am going to save Cody not because it makes sense, but because he is my friend, and I cannot leave him to be tortured and killed by the Empire. I will do it alone if I have to, and if I die, I die. My life is in the hands in the Force now."

Obi-Wan suddenly noticed that June and the rest of her platoon were standing a few feet away and had heard his entire monologue. But their faces were all solemn and respectful. No scorn or apathy; just compassion.

June stepped forward to stand between Rex and Obi-Wan.

"Every rational sense I have is telling me that is crazy, but my gut is saying that I still need to do it. My men and I have all lived through so much loss, grief, pain; we've forfeited ever returning to a normal life. We're soldiers, and we'll die soldiers. We'll die while on some mission or in an inconsequential battle, be classed as a casualty rate, and never be heard from again. We've been fighting for so long, most of us have forgotten why. We don't fear death, we fear dying for nothing and being forgotten. That all these years we've sacrificed will have been for nothing. Dying to save a friend; hell, even a Clone, might as well be how we go out. I'll follow you on this crazy rescue, just make sure the galaxy remembers the 65th commando platoon!"

June flashed a wide smirk at Obi-Wan who couldn't help but smile back.

"The commandos who fought beside the Clone Wars legend: Obi-Wan Kenobi." one soldier said with a toothy grin.

All the soldiers whooped and thumped their chests in agreement. Juno watched them all from the _Rogue Shadow_ with a smile, giving Obi-Wan a nod.

The old master felt Rex lay a hand on his shoulder.

"We're all with you, general," the Clone said. "And if Cody were in your place, I know he'd do the same for you."

Obi-Wan's grey-blue eyes looked over every single person in front of him, and he felt his heart swell with profound gratitude. Spending so many years alone on Tattooine had long accustomed him to the notion that he needed to do things alone in order to keep everyone safe. That was no longer the case. There were people who were again willing to fight by his side.

"I feel that thanks are woefully inadequate for what you are doing," Obi-Wan spoke slowly. "This day will stay embedded in the galaxy's memory forever. And the Empire will not soon forget the day that the Citadel fell!"

* * *

"Sir, it's probably redundant to ask, but the Citadel is that way." Rex mentioned, pointing in the opposite direction to where the group was currently walking.

"I'd hope it is, because we aren't going to the Citadel." Obi-Wan replied with a smirk.

Rex knew better than to ask the obvious follow-up question. He just kept following the Jedi Master, knowing he'd get his answer soon enough.

After another hour of walking, Obi-Wan stopped, bringing the entire column behind him to a halt. Rex and June scoped out their immediate surroundings but couldn't find anything of note. They were on a plane, with a giant lava lake in its centre.

"Lieutenant, would you hand me a charge?" Obi-Wan asked June, holding out his hand.

June paused, casting a critical gaze at the Jedi before reaching to her belt and throwing him a thermal detonator.

With one hand, Obi-Wan primed the detonator and threw it towards the lake of lava. Just before it hit, he caught it with the Force and let it hover a couple inches over the molten magma, until it exploded. The blast displaced a tiny bit of lava but ultimately left the lake unchanged.

"Well, you sure showed that lava who's boss. Anything else you want to waste my detonators on?" June asked sarcastically.

Obi-Wan smiled to himself, and after a couple seconds, the earth underneath them began to rumble. The commandos desperately tried not to get thrown off their feet by the overwhelming power of the vibrations.

Then, the surface of the lake started to move. It ebbed and flowed unnaturally, and eventually lifted upward as a gargantuan creature rose out from the lake of fire. Its entire body was made out of cooled black chunks of magma that continuously fell off to reveal the fresh glowing liquid underneath, which in turn solidified again. It was about a third the height of the Citadel and as wide as a hangar door, with two arms and legs. Its face was a twisted mass that formed only the most basic outline of a mouth and eyes.

June and her platoon were completely dumbfounded. Some tentatively raised their weapons but they were unsure of where to aim or if it would even affect this thing.

"Now, now, let's all remain calm," Obi-Wan spoke evenly, taking a step towards the beast. "We don't want to scare it, now do we?"

Reaching out through the Force, Obi-Wan could sense the beast's imposing presence. He had sensed it almost as soon as he'd set foot on the planet. This primordial force that had laid dormant for who knew how many years.

_How had I not notice it the first time I was here? _Obi-Wan wondered. _Was I not well enough tuned to the voices of the living Force?_

He could sense the beast's anger and fear, as it opened its mind to Obi-Wan. Using the Force, the Jedi Master eased its raging emotions and brought its mind into his. He made it understand exactly why he was here.

_You do not want to hurt me, any more than I want to hurt you._ Obi-Wan spoke to it through their bond.

The beast paused. Several seconds passed where the only sounds were the bubbling magma and the clumps of dried lava peeling off the beast and hitting the ground.

Eventually, the creature's legs bent as it dropped to its knee and gave a formal bow to the group of humans.

Obi-Wan turned to June, a familiar smile on his face.

"I don't think the Empire will ever forget this."

* * *

Commander Poin didn't like this feeling. He'd been running the Citadel for seven years now with expert precision and rigour. He liked everything to be in its place and to KNOW its place; that went double for the prisoners he had under his care. He craved order, and if a single thing felt off to him, he'd get an instant tug in his stomach. It was like an instinctual reflex that activated whenever something unplanned was going to happen.

However, this past week had been nothing but unplanned events for the Citadel. Lord Vader had made an unscheduled arrival to deliver a Clone prisoner which Poin was ordered to simply keep here; no interrogation necessary. Then the day after that, several battalions of Stormtroopers were sent in to reinforce the base; still with no explanation. And the day after that, three Inquisitors had arrived with a mysterious crate containing who knows what and effectively high jacked his running of the Citadel.

All this to say that commander Poin was not pleased, and today the tug in his gut had gotten even stronger.

_Whatever all of this is preparing for, it's happening today,_ he thought.

As he watched over the barren and hostile wasteland from the command centre at the top of the Citadel, the three Inquisitors entered, each followed by a pair of Death Troopers. They were an elite variant of Stormtroopers who excelled at stealth and espionage, and generally served as bodyguards for high-ranking or important Imperial figures. It was often said that a single Death Trooper equalled ten Stormtroopers in combat, and some argued it was even higher than that.

"Any movement on the radars?" the Seventh Sister asked. She was a female Milirian with yellow skin that matched her eyes. She reminded commander Poin of a venomous snake he'd been bitten by when he was a child.

"You asked me to inform you if there was any activity," Poin replied, trying to keep his tone polite. "If I did not call you, it means there is nothing to report."

"You better mind you tone," the Eighth Brother muttered menacingly behind his mask, moving closer to Poin. He walked with a strange slouch, that meant he was always talking to the feet of the person he was speaking to. "Don't make me have to kill you for insubordination."

Commander Poin straightened up and flexed his jaw muscles slowly. He was obviously trying to intimidate him, and he would have none of it.

"It is you who would do best to mind your tone," Poin shot back with equal menace. "For one I outrank you, and second, my life readings are directly tied to the self-destruct systems of the Citadel. Would you like to explain to the Emperor why his strongest prison was destroyed because his lapdog could not follow orders?"

The Eighth Brother let out a low guttural growl as he stooped lower to the ground, only to be stopped by the Fifth Brother, who laid a firm hand on his shoulder. He had grey skin and eyes that made him look like he was carved out of stone.

"This petty quarrel is futile," he said in a tone that didn't accept any disagreement. "We are here to kill any Jedi or Rebel that comes here. No one else."

The Eighth Brother paused, visibly frustrated at having been undermined, but he eventually eased down and slunk back a couple of feet.

"Of course. No one else." he spoke in a fake conciliatory tone.

Commander Poin held his gaze on the three Inquisitors. Suddenly, one of his officers urgently spoke up from his control panel:

"Sir, I think you'll want to see this."

Commander Poin and the three Inquisitors stepped up to the glass, spotting a strange glowing mass that was approaching the Citadel.

"Get me a visual." Poin ordered his officer.

"Yes, sir." he replied, pulling up a screen and magnifying the image.

"Jedi." the Seventh Sister muttered in disgust.

"We will take care of this," the Fifth Brother spoke to Poin. "Have the garrison ready to engage, and make sure the asset is secure."

Poin didn't like being told what to do but he knew better than to start such a petty argument. As he gave his orders, the three Inquisitors moved towards the exit.

"You six, stay with him." the Seventh Sister told the Death Troopers, gesturing towards Poin. "Keep him alive at all costs."

The Troopers replied affirmatively through their voice scramblers. The Inquisitors left the command centre, ready for battle.

"Get the weapon ready." the Eighth Brother spoke into his commlink.

* * *

**And here we are.**

**So the part about the commandos changing their view and accepting to risk their lives might feel a bit sudden but I can see it working since they are well-worn veterans of war, so as soon as they see that this cause is noble, they feel better about following it. I don't know, tell me what you think.**

**Can't wait for chapter 12, I've got some stuff I want to bring in that really gets me excited. But anyway, I'll let you discover it when it comes out. It might take a bit longer to be uploaded since I expect it to be a big chapter and one I'll want to really get right. **

**Please follow, favorite and comment if you enjoyed. And if you didn't, please feel free to tell me why in a respectful and constructive matter.**


	12. Bonds of Trust

**Well howdy there! Have you all come for another chapter? Well you came to the right place.**

**I was planning to make the "Citadel Arc" fit in one chapter, but I soon realized that would mean a 30 or 40 page long chapter and more wait for you guys. So, like a movie studio desperate for more money, I've decided to make two chapters instead of one. I mean this one is already 13 pages long. That's not bad to start, right?**

**Anyhow! Let's jump straight into answering comments shall we?**

**RFK22: Sorry you'll still have to wait for chapter 13, but I hope this one still tickles your biscuit ;)**

**Guest: Uuuuuuh. I mean Anakin murdered children, Mace Windu killed Boba Fett's dad and yeah Obi-Wan left his own friend to burn in a moment of weakness he likely regrets until now. I mean I still LOVE Anakin and Mace. Reducing a character to only their bad decisions feels a bit too easy.**

**gdvp111: I share your frustration in the reversal of the commando's opinions. That was really just me dropping the ball and choosing to keep the story moving rather than spend the time to show their change in opinions. Ultimately they needed to be in agreement with Obi-Wan otherwise it would just make the entire mission a non-starter.**

**Obi-Wan does like his speeches. They were fun to write but they can sound a bit pompous and repetitive for sure.**

**About the fact that June and Juno have similar names that's fine since Juno is pretty much just manning the ship so there's no need to worry about her too much.**

**And concerning the living Force, I'm going to utilize it in this chapter. I'm not sure if it's a use that many people would agree with. I didn't base it on any preexisting Force ability that I know of. It just sounded cool when I wrote it and added some good pressure. Tell me if the Force technique he uses makes sense to you.**

**OK. Answers to comments are done, so without further ado, let's get into it!**

**Please comment, favorite and follow if you enjoy. And if you didn't, please let me know why respectfully.**

* * *

"Well, they certainly know we're here." Obi-Wan said with a smirk. He spoke half to himself, and half to the towering lava beast by his side.

In the distance, he could spot the flashing alarm lights of the Citadel. Now they just had to take the bait.

"I should warn you," Obi-Wan spoke to the beast who heard him in its mind. "I don't know if we'll be making it back alive. I don't want our mental link to make you do something against your will. If you wish to leave now, I would understand."

The beast paused for a second. It looked down at Obi-Wan from several stories up and through the glowing hot lava and the crumbling pieces of cooled magma, Obi-Wan made out what he took to be a smile.

"_Planet is home. Where can I run to?_"

Obi-Wan nodded, removing his Jedi robe from his shoulders.

"Thank you, my friend," he spoke gratefully. "It appears they have made the first move."

The beast followed Obi-Wan's extended finger towards the three AT-ATs that were exiting the Citadel compound. Behind them were five AT-STs, followed by three phalanxes of Stormtroopers.

Obi-Wan said nothing. The beast knew the plan, as did everyone else. They all knew their part; it was just a question of if the enemy had seen ahead of them or not.

The beast took several steps away from Obi-Wan to stand beside a pool of lava. As the old Master watched in amazement, it plunged both its hands into it and produced a boulder-sized glob of molten magma. The beast rolled it around in its hands to cool it down until it more or less held a spherical shape.

Once it was satisfied, the beast stood back up to its full height and with incredible a powerful swing, hurled the cooled ball of magma towards the approaching troops. Obi-Wan was left in awe as it connected with the front legs of one of the AT-ATs, sending the vehicle crashing to the ground. Several seconds later, it exploded, sending large chunks of shrapnel in all directions.

The other AT-ATs were quick to return fire. The few shots that hit the beast didn't seem to affect it much. It just went back to gathering up lava to launch at the enemy.

Obi-Wan ducked behind a small mound of volcanic rock, just in case the enemy decided to focus on him, and contacted Rex via his communicator. A small blue hologram of the Clone appeared over his palm.

"Rex. Things are proceeding as planned out here. How are things going on your end?"

"_We've found the entrance to the sewer system, general," _Rex spoke over the hologram. "_No one's too happy about it, but it should be the safest and quickest way into the Citadel."_

"Stay on your guard," Obi-Wan warned. "I wouldn't be surprised if the Citadel's commander thought to have patrols roam the tunnels."

June's hologram projection replaced Rex's as she pushed him out of the field of view of the communicator. She gave Obi-Wan an annoyed glare.

"_Yeah, we'll be careful as we slog through these shit pipes, general. And to think you're supposed to be famous for brilliantly orchestrated plans."_

"Good to see my reputation still holds up." Obi-Wan replied with a smirk.

"_Very funny. We're going dark from this point on. We can't risk them picking up any communications."_

"Very well, lieutenant. If you manage to free other prisoners in addition to Cody, please do so."

"_Don't patronize me, Jedi._"

And with that, the hologram turned off. Obi-Wan smiled as he stepped back out into the open.

While he'd been talking, the beast had destroyed a second AT-AT and was preparing a third lava ball.

"May I?"

The beast looked curiously at Obi-Wan who pointed to the glowing mass of liquefied rock in its grasp. It held it out towards him, a confused look in its eyes.

Obi-Wan concentrated on it and lifted it slowly out of the beast's hands. It watched Obi-Wan give it all the power he could to send the ball flying across the two-hundred meters or so, that separated them from the enemy. Unfortunately, it missed the remaining AT-AT; instead colliding with an AT-ST and decimating part of the phalanx behind it.

Obi-Wan looked up at the beast, which gave him an impressed nod. It then diligently prepared another projectile to launch.

Obi-Wan felt this was the best moment to prepare for his upcoming fight. He could sense there were three Dark Side users inside the Citadel. If he wanted a chance to defeat them, he would need to draw upon all the power at his disposal.

He returned behind the rocky outcrop and sat down in a meditative pose. He steadied his breathing, closed his eyes and slowly gathered the power from the living Force around him.

He concentrated on feeling every single living creature. Granted on this planet that didn't leave many options but he went even beyond only living things. The planet itself… it was alive. Every rock and lava stream was connected to the living Force. Obi-Wan felt them all, and they granted him their power.

_FEEL the Force…_

* * *

Rex put away his communicator and moved up beside June who was looking down into the dark opening to the sewers of the Citadel. Her nose was crinkled in disgust from the smell. She held an atmospheric reader over the opening. When it finally flashed green, she looked at it critically as she returned to her platoon.

"Alright ladies, here's the story," she spoke in a clipped tone. "The readings show traces of flammable and explosive gases. Who knows how they got in there but that means absolutely NO shots fired. Also, no comms chatter. We're not risking an early detection. Our primary goal is to get the asset out. I don't know how feasible it will be to free any other prisoners, especially considering the added security. We'll see how the mission unfolds, but for now, it's just the Clone."

The commandos all nodded their heads and proceeded to switch on the safety for all their weapons. They also deactivated their communicators.

Rex did the same with his dual blasters and wrist commlink. He put his helmet on and tested its breathing system to make sure it was filtering the air correctly. The rest of the soldiers were slipping on personal gas masks to avoid passing out or getting infected from the deadly cocktail of gases present in those tunnels.

"We all set?" June asked.

When all her platoon answered positively, she pointed at two of them and told one to take point and the other to cover the rear.

The one taking point was a well-built male Bothan named Rynthan. He possessed striking red fur and large ears that constantly twitched to pick up any stray sounds. Rex was aware that the color of a Bothan's fur changed depending on his or her emotional state but he was unable to tell if red signified something specific. Rynthan seemed relatively composed compared to some of his more eccentric comrades. He sported an absurdly large sniper rifle on his back and a blaster strapped to his hip. Though right now, he produced a short sword from a sheath on his belt.

Covering the rear was a female Twi'lek, named Muna. While her orange skin gave her some physical resemblance to Rynthan, their personalities could not have been more opposite. She carried herself with an unnerving jitteriness, and a constantly scrutinizing gaze, like she was expecting an ambush around every corner. She kept her lekku tied to her back with a beautiful braid made out of human hair and crystal beads. June reassured Rex that the hair was given to her consensually. Muna would often stroke it and momentarily calm down for several seconds before returning to her skittish personality. She carried a pair of DH-17 blaster pistols, alongside an absurd amount of power cells. Rex knew that the DH-17s had an automatic firing mode but that using them in such a configuration drained them in under 20 seconds.

While both of these individuals would appear to be on the one hand perfectly ordinary and on the other completely insane, Rex saw their battle awareness and experience shine in their eyes. He knew that as soon as the fighting started, these two would be deadly.

Rynthan slipped on his gas mask and jumped down into the sewer system, then June and Rex. The rest of the platoon quickly followed.

The smell was bad when they were a couple of feet away from it. Being in it was a thousand times worse. The sewage and feces reached up to everyone's ankles, except for Plorg, a male Ugnaught, who had to climb up on the back of Kochew, a female Wookie, so he didn't end up swimming in it. The visibility was terrible. Even using their flashlights, Rynthan could only see a couple meters in front of him.

"Kochew, start setting charges." June spoke to the Wookie behind her.

Kochew let out an affirmative growl, removing a thermal charge from the many that dangled off her bandolier and placing it against the wall of the sewage pipe.

The group progressed slowly for several minutes. The only sounds were the splashing of their boots as they moved through the waste and the intermittent "ting" sound of Kochew placing her charges.

Suddenly, voices could be heard ahead where the sewer pipe took a turn. Quietly, Rynthan hugged the wall and peaked around the corner. Four Stormtroopers were walking in their direction. One of them was speaking to someone over their comms:

"Nothing so far, commander," the one nearest to Rynthan said. "Just garbage and rats… Yes, sir. We'll keep looking."

Rynthan leaned back and held up four fingers and gestured with an outstretched hand around the bend. June nodded and looked back to her troops to come up with a plan to deal with them.

After several seconds, she gestured over to Rex and Rynthan.

"Alright, let's jam their comms," June whispered, looking to Rynthan who pressed two buttons on his communicator to scramble the Stormtroopers communications. "Rex and I will take the two closest to us; Rynthan you take the two behind. Rex, you've got the one on the left; I'll take the one on the right."

Rex and the Bothan both nodded their heads and crouched down low at the edge of the bend. June held up her hand, let it hang for a couple seconds and brought it down as the signal to attack.

Rex and June rushed the first two Stormtroopers. The Clone tackled his mark to the ground and brought his large arms around his neck to choke him out. June was more to the point. She drove her knife into the gap between the Stormtrooper's helmet and breastplate, killing him instantly. Rynthan quickly followed them, killing one soldier with a swing of his blade. The last Stormtrooper desperately tried to run away, calling for help over his unresponsive communicator. With chilling precision, Rynthan threw his blade, sending it sailing through the air to impale itself in the back of the fleeing soldier.

"Nice work." June acknowledged. "But we should hurry. It won't be long before the Empire becomes suspicious of them not responding."

Rynthan nodded solemnly as he went to retrieve his weapon. Rex's victim finally stopped resisting and in a deliberate motion, the old Clone snapped his neck and let his body fall into the sludge. The rest of the platoon joined them.

"Alright, strip the two who's armor is undamaged. I imagine it'll come in handy later." June ordered. "How much further, Rynthan?"

The Bothan's large ears twitched and turned slightly and for a split second his fur turned orange before returning to its original red color.

"Not much further." he answered simply.

Juned nodded and turned back to her team who'd finished collecting two, relatively intact, Stormtrooper outfits.

"Alright team," June spoke with measured intensity. "Let's get out of this shit hole and plan our next move."

* * *

Commander Poin was seething. The twisting in his gut was only getting worse as he watched his troops get absolutely annihilated by the hellish beast outside the gates of the Citadel. Poin had never seen such a monstrosity on Lola Sayu.

He remembered a group of religious fanatics had been captured several years ago as they were trying to carry out some unholy ritual. They had said something about a beast made of lava and death. Though even after days of torture, that was the most any of them had revealed about what they were hoping to achieve on Lola Sayu. Poin wouldn't have been surprised if this was the beast they had been referring to.

The commander swept his gaze around the control center, his eyes falling on the four Deathtroopers that had been left to watch him. The other two were posted outside, guarding the entrance. They were like shadows watching his every move. Whenever he walked, their helmeted gaze followed him.

"Sir, incoming transmission from the Inquisitors." one of his officers said from his control panel.

Poin had to stifle a grunt of exasperation. Instead, he took a deep breath to calm himself and turned his attention to the holotable at the center of the room.

"Patch it through." Poin ordered.

The officer nodded, pushed a button and the small blue projection of the Fifth Brother appeared on the table.

"Commander, how goes the search for the intruders?" the Inquisitor asked monotonically.

"We haven't found anyone as of yet. Though I have lost contact with one squad who was patrolling the sewer tunnels," Poin replied, barely moving an inch. "I am sending troops to investigate. What of the Jedi and this beast?"

"We are making the necessary preparations," the Fifth Brother replied cryptically. "Our Master knew that Kenobi would attempt to use this native beast against us, which is why he had us bring a countermeasure."

"You mean Obi-Wan Kenobi is here?!" Poin asked, suddenly leaning forward, bracing his hands against the edge of the holotable. "The 'Negotiator' who fought at many key battles during the Clone Wars and served on the Jedi High Council?"

"We have little care for his past titles," the Fifth Brother replied evenly. "He is a crippled old man and will soon join the scours of Jedi who have fallen by our hand."

"No, stop, you're making a big mistake," Poin was trying to keep his composure as the twisting in his stomach threatened to make him vomit. "I've heard about him. He was part of the team that successfully broke a Jedi out of the Citadel during the Clone Wars. The only time in the history of its existence. It is possible he has sensitive knowledge of the inner workings of the Citadel. We need to dispatch Star Destroyers to blockade the planet while we fall back and think of a strategy."

The Inquisitor let several seconds of silence pass as he observed Poin coolly. When he spoke again, his words were slow and deliberate:

"The Emperor himself sent us here with this weapon because he knew that is what it would take to defeat Kenobi. If we start clamoring for reinforcements because of your irrational fears, it would be tantamount to questioning the Emperor's orders. Is that what you are suggesting, commander?"

Poin could feel the sweat beading up on his brow. He was struggling to think straight; the pain was becoming unbearable.

"No, of course not," he managed to grind out. "It's just that since we do not know who Kenobi has brought with him, it would be dangerous to engage without a clear idea of what his plan is."

"Once Kenobi is dead, it won't matter what his plan was or where his allies are," the Fifth Brother spoke. "Without him to distract us, it will only be a matter of time before we flush out whatever vermin accompanied him and make an example of them. Concern yourself with finding this vermin, commander. We will take care of Kenobi."

And with that, the Inquisitor ended the conversation and the holotable went blank. Poin took several deep breaths as he steadied himself against the table.

"Damn you." he whispered under his breath.

He straightened himself up and walked up to his officers who were manning the Citadel's security system.

"I want them found now!" he shouted. "No excuses! The man who finds these Rebels will be immediately promoted."

Poin allowed himself a small grin when he saw all his officers quickly turn back to their monitors and meticulously look over the footage from the security cameras.

* * *

"All right. Let's run over this one last time to make sure this is all clear," June spoke in a low tone to her platoon. "Rex, Markin, Rythan, Kochew, Plorg, Katerina and myself, we're Alpha team. Muna, Yva and Ova, Nerrown and Inuzo, you're Beta Team. Alpha team will be tasked with securing and rescuing the asset. Beta team, your mission is to get to the control room and free the other prisoners, as well as give the _Rogue Shadow_ a safe landing zone for our exfil. And also secure a mode of transport for the prisoners to escape on."

All the members of Beta team rolled their eyes at each other and flashed sarcastic grins.

"_Doesn't it feel like one team got the better deal?"_ Muna spoke humorously, fiddling with her braids. She had been assigned the leader of Beta Team.

"I agree that this isn't an easy assignment," June acknowledged. "But unless we can establish control over the Citadel's security systems, we're not going to last long. Plorg will be able to hack some of the security cameras and cell doors but once the Empire catches on, that won't work anymore. Your team must take control of the Citadel and turn it against them."

Muna nodded solemnly at June's point. In the end, none of them came here expecting an easy mission.

"The higher the danger…" Yva, a female Zabrak, started.

"… the bigger the glory." Ova, a male Zabrak, finished.

They were twins and the youngest members of the platoon. June had met them while helping to repel an Imperial invasion of their home planet, Iridonia. Yva and Ova's parents were the leaders of one of the planet's largest tribes and that many other Iridonian tribes rallied behind them to repel the Empire.

But their parents were betrayed. One of their own warriors was a turncoat and gave the exact location of their hidden compound to the Empire. It was a complete accident that Yva and Ova were outside that night. Ova was having trouble sleeping, so he left the cave system where his parents and their warriors lived, to get some fresh air. His sister followed him, as she always did. They shared an intimate connection that made them constantly aware of each other's presence. Some felt it hinted at a bond beyond that of brother and sister, but no one brought it up out of respect.

As they enjoyed the coolness of the night air and the steady glow of Iridonia's twin moons, a beam of light fell from the sky, directly atop their parent's secret base. They watched in horror as more lasers descended from the heavens, leveling the mountain underneath which Yva and Ova's parents had set up their home camp.

Their anger and hatred towards the Empire was further enflamed that night. They wanted nothing more than to slowly torture all those who had had a hand in the death of their parents. However, this pain was also paired with a heavy sadness. Having lost their parents and knowing they should have been by their side when it happened.

Shortly after, when June arrived with Master Kota to aid the Zabrak's rebellion, she saw the twins' ferocity in combat but also their need for a comradery, perhaps even a family, that would help them move past their rage and sorrow. She helped train them, fought alongside them to help liberate their homeworld, and when it was all over, offered them a place in the Rebel Alliance, which they accepted.

They both had orange skin, though Yva's leaned more towards yellow. They shared the same motif of tattoos across their faces, drawn in red ink that symbolized their family's status and prowess in combat. Their eyes were a striking blood crimson that contrasted against their skin tone and made them look even more terrifying in combat. They also possessed a pair of short horns on their forehead, while Ova also had a set of smaller ones just above his ears. Yva had a small patch of hair on her head that she was able to tie into a braid but her brother was completely bald.

They both shared an affinity for hand to hand combat. Like all Zabrak children, they'd been trained in a signature style of highly physical martial arts and rarely relied on firearms in combat. Yva's weapons of choice were two daggers she kept in sheaths on her back, while her brother opted for a chain with retractable spikes which he spun at great speeds for defense or offense. He could actually spin it fast enough to deflect blaster fire. After much insistence from June, they agreed to carry a small blaster pistol on their belts. She had yet to see them use it, but she took comfort in the idea that they at least had a backup to their main weapons.

Muna rolled her eyes at the twins' boastful comment.

"_I personally prefer: the higher the danger, the bigger the payday._" she said evenly.

"_A warrior's honor is not measured by how many credits he has."_ Inuzo, a female Kyuzo, spoke softly, her voice oddly serene and soothing.

The Kyuzo had a strong sense of honor and were regarded as some of the most proficient hand-to-hand fighters in the galaxy. Their wrinkled, greenish skin and large yellowish eyes, already made them stand out. However, since their homeworld, Phatrong, has a different gravitational and atmospheric makeup as the rest of the planets in the galaxy, this led them to develop very strong muscles but also meant they required corrective lenses and a highly pressurized filter mask if ever they adventured away from their world. All of this just added to the mystic of this great warrior race. They were immediately identifiable by the wide-brimmed war helmet most of them wore, which could be used as a shield or thrown like a frisbee.

Inuzo was by far the most versatile fighter of the platoon. Her marksmanship was dead on and her fighting style allowed her to even beat Yva and Ova when they sparred during practice. She was very pragmatic and tactical by nature, making her a person June always ran plans by to see if there was anything she thought needed to be added.

For this mission, Inuzo had brought a modified blaster rifle, with attachments that could turn it into a sniper rifle if need be.

"_Oh why thank you, sensei," _Muna looked over to Inuzo scornfully. "_But glory isn't worth much if you're dead._"

"_Neither are credits,_" Inuzo replied calmly.

"_Oh you think you're clever, huh?" _Muna growled, leaning towards Inuzo.

"_Now, now guys," _Nerrown, a male Parwan, intervened timidly. "_Let's not fight amongst ourselves. Remember what general Kenobi said, we would be doing the Empire a favor._"

Parwans were rarely seen outside their home planet, Parwa. They possessed four tentacles to walk on, a mushroom-shaped head and three globular eyes. They were also able to produce electric fields that could incapacitate most sentient species. It took time for a Parwan to be able to use this ability a second time so it was generally only used as a last resort.

Nerrown was one of the few Parwans who's blood type allowed him to withstand electrolytic serums as well as most poisons and toxins. This made him the platoon's expert on chemical warfare. Nerrown had no proficiency for hand-to-hand combat or marksmanship, but he knew of almost every deadly concoction in the galaxy and how best to use them. He even tested some of his personal mélanges on himself.

"_Shut it, gas bag," _Muna shot back, making Nerrown nervously hide behind Inuzo. "_That Jedi is a crazy old man. Thinking he can take on three Inquisitors by himself…"_

As soon as she spoke, a loud boom and rumble echoed from outside the Citadel. The entire platoon went quiet and waited to see if there was another blast coming. Several seconds later, a second explosion resonated through the corridor. Everyone kept still as they waited the same amount of time between the first two blasts. When nothing else came, June felt comfortable speaking again:

"I wouldn't be surprised if that was our crazy old Jedi getting to work. I know we all have some doubts about the goal of this mission or if we can even pull it off, but we can all agree that letting one man fight while the rest of us hesitate to act is not who we are."

June cast her gaze across her troops. She knew they could all see the truth in her words.

"Now let's topple this place." June spoke with finality, their mission now officially underway.

* * *

_FEEL THE FORCE…_

Obi-Wan slowly opened his eyes. He could have kept them closed if he wished. He had entered such a vein of concentration and serenity he was able to sense every single living being on Lola Sayu and didn't need his eyes to "see" them.

He could feel the power of the Force brimming from inside him, but he knew that as soon as he tried to tap into it, it would become a double-edged sword. He would be unable to fight in this state for more than a minute.

Which is why he was happy to see that the beast had basically decimated the entire Imperial garrison on its own. All that was left were smoking heaps of molten metal and large craters where the beast's projectiles had landed.

However, Obi-Wan could sense that the real fight was about to begin. He sensed three Force presences approaching them, all intimately tied to the Dark Side. Inquisitors. There was no doubt in Obi-Wan's mind. They really had been expecting him.

He could now see them approaching atop a troops carrier with a modified roof. There was some sort of communications dish on top of the vehicle. Obi-Wan could tell something was off about this but the beast did not share his concern and simply gathered another ball of lava and threw it towards the approaching vehicle.

Several feet before it made contact, the ball veered to the left and harmlessly crashed into the ground. Obi-Wan imagined that deflecting such a projectile with the Force wasn't too difficult for three Inquisitors.

The troop carrier stopped, a fair distance away from them. Obi-Wan saw legs extend out the side and impale themselves into the ground to keep the vehicle steady. The Jedi Master had a bad feeling about this.

"You should retreat." Obi-Wan told the beast over their mental bond.

"_If Jedi fight, I fight._" the beast replied stoically.

Obi-Wan appreciated the sentiment but he couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen. And when he saw, what he'd thought to be a communications dish, start to glow green as it charged up, he finally understood.

The next couple seconds were like a blur. Time slowed as Obi-Wan saw the green laser fire from the dish atop the troop carrier, aimed straight at the beast. Calling upon the immense power of the Force he had stored up, Obi-Wan pushed the beast out of the way, just as the laser passed where its chest would have been. The beam then impacted a mountain formation behind them, reducing it to rubble with a loud "bang".

Obi-Wan looked back towards the Inquisitor's vehicle and was ready to assume they were preparing for a second shot. The beast was slowly getting back up, surprised at how Obi-Wan had been able to Force push it off its feet.

The old Master knew his time was counted. He had opened himself up to the full power of the living Force and it was flowing through him like a torrent, but eventually it would run out. When that happened, there was no way he would survive against three Inquisitors in his weakened state.

"You have to get out of here!" Obi-Wan called to it. "They're going to kill you."

"_No! If Jedi fight, I fight. If Jedi die, I die."_ was its unequivocal response.

Obi-Wan paused. He respected and admired the beast's loyalty to him. All the more reason he hated what he was about to do.

"You WILL run away." Obi-Wan spoke, his words layered with Force persuasion.

"_No… no. Must help Jedi._" the beast begged in return.

"You WILL run away!" Obi-Wan continued, calling upon the Force to grant more power to his words

"_No… stop… please…"_

"YOU WILL RUN AWAY!" Obi-Wan let out as much power as he could, which finally had its effect on the beast who turned away and ran away at full speed; just as Obi-Wan had ordered.

The second shot from the laser, Obi-Wan was able to dodge as his senses were now heightened to a level he'd never experienced before. The ray carved a crevice into the ground several meters deep, which immediately began filling with lava.

With great speed and agility, he made a run for the troop carrier. He had to finish off the Inquisitors before he drained all his stamina. If that happened, it was unlikely he'd make it out of this fight alive.

* * *

He couldn't stop his heel from tapping nervously against the durasteel floor. The impatience and inefficiency were killing him. His instincts begged him to take this into his own hands like HE had and go help him, but the rational side he'd been encouraged to listen to, kept him in his seat.

Finally, the doors to the meeting room opened, and Leia stormed out, exasperation and frustration lining her face. Her expression softened slightly when she saw him getting up to meet her. She approached him and they walked over to one of the transparent panels that gave them a beautiful view of endless space.

"The High Command has voted that no rescue mission is to be planned at this hour." Leia spoke gently and deliberately.

"What!" Luke yelled out in disbelief. Several passing Rebel soldiers turned their heads in surprise but the young man didn't care. "But they know where he is. They know the dangers he's facing. Isn't that reason enough to do everything we can to get him back?"

"Things aren't that simple," Leia tried to explain calmly. She wanted to be patient but she was contending with her own feelings and emotions about the whole situation. "Since General Kenobi left without notifying or asking permission from the High Command, they consider he has gone AWOL— "

"Oh, you don't believe that," Luke cut in, leaning towards Leia. "Ben knew that by the time the High Command came to a decision, his friend would already be dead. He did the right thing."

"Maybe, but it was still done without proper authorization." Leia's voice was getting more aggressive.

"He's a Jedi general!" Luke cried out in disbelief. "He's twice the man than any of the people who sit at that table."

"He is not above the rules." Leia's patience was nearly worn out.

"Well, maybe he should be," Luke bit out. "All this bureaucratic red tape is keeping us from actually helping people. If the Rebellion had been willing to commit to a full attack on the Death Star to rescue you, maybe Alderaan would still be— "

Luke's sentence was interrupted by a stinging slap across his cheek. He looked back to Leia and saw her entire face was tightly held in a mask of pain and anger. Her eyes watered but no tears fell.

"You know nothing." she bit out before storming away and disappearing past a pair of blast doors.

Luke was about to go after her when a gruff voice stopped him:

"Don't make it any worse, kid. You've done enough."

Luke turned to see Rahm Kota walk up to him and lean against the window. The Jedi Master produced a small folding blade from a pouch on his belt and proceeded to clean and trim his nails, as well as some of the callouses on his worn hands.

"You don't trust your Master, do you?" Rahm asked, meticulously shaving off a bit of nail.

"What!? Of course I do," Luke replied defensively. "I trust Ben more than anyone."

"But you don't believe he can make it back alive?" Rahm asked absentmindedly. He was now trying to break apart a callous without cutting into the fresh skin of his hand.

"Of course I do, it's just…" Luke was desperately trying to find the rest of his sentence.

"But you fear something will happen to him and he won't be here anymore." Rahm stated.

Luke stayed silent. He had nothing with which to refute Rahm's point.

"Kid, let me clue you in to a hard fact of life," Rahm said evenly. "We all die. If we're lucky, it's after a long and fulfilling life, but more often than not, it happens when you least expect it. When there's still so much more you want to do. Kenobi's fortunate enough to be in the first camp, but a Jedi accepts death either way it comes. It's the Sith who fear it and try to control it."

"I feel like I still have so much to learn," Luke spoke slowly. "Up till now, I've been secure in the idea that Ben was watching over everything I did. Without him, I'd be lost."

"That's the conundrum every padawan has to face eventually," Rahm said. "Becoming his or her own master. Don't worry if Kenobi can't finish your training, I'll be happy to step up to bat. Though I can't promise I'm as academic or pedagogical as he is."

Luke chuckled slightly. Rahm folded away his knife and patted the young man firmly on the shoulder.

"Don't you worry about him," Rahm said confidently. "Kenobi's end hasn't been written just yet…"

* * *

**OKAY I'M DONE! CAN I GO TO BED NOW!?**

**So yeah that's part 1 of the "Citadel Arc" (a bit much to call it an arc but whatever it makes me feel important ;)**

**The two main points where I feel I'm going to get some criticism and I myself am not sure is done well is the description of how Obi-Wan accumulates a lot of power and the in-depth description of all the members of the platoon (or at least part of them anyway).**

**Concerning the thing with Obi-Wan, I kinda thought about how Yoda was slow and "weak" towards the end of the Clone Wars, but could instantly become the deadliest Jedi of the Order like when he fought Count Dooku in AOTC. So a Force power like that.**

**And as for the platoon, it would have been difficult to write this arc with just a bunch of nameless and faceless soldiers. But also I agree that dropping a bunch of names and backstories weighs pretty heavily on the narrative flow.**

**Tell me what you thought about this or anything else in a comment!**


	13. Bonds of Blood

**WELCOME LADIES AND GENTLEMAN TO ANOTHER CHAPTER OF NEVER TOO OLD WHEN YOU HAVE THE HIGH GROUND!**

**I'm leaving all my talkey-talk for the end, right now I just want to answer some comments!**

**Guest: -Obi-Wan is far from flawless. He failed Anakin and it haunts him to this day.**

**-It certainly wasn't "all Anakin's fault". Sidious is entirely the one to blame for exploiting Anakin's fear of Padme dying.**

**-I found something called the "Jedi Acquisition Division" which I assume is what you're talking about. And I think everyone agrees that taking children away from parents who live and work on the planet where they'll be trained is cruel. Obviously a special arrangement would have had to be made to accommodate this special circumstance. I don't know why the Jedi would suddenly jump to "Padme needs to be smeared" and "Anakin needs to be put in a cell". Worst case scenario, Anakin is expelled from the Order for violating the code, and it's entirely possible that Padme's opponents in the Senate would use this situation to discredit her. But I believe there would be an alternative that would lead to all parties being more or less satisfied.**

**-Concerning the JAC as you refer to them, their Wookiepedia article is pretty short and does mention that they were "given legal authority to take custody of any and all Force-sensitives" which is definitely a pretty extreme power to have at their disposal. But you have to understand that the people that find potential younglings are Jedi who were likely themselves brought to the Temple in the same manner. They aren't child-kidnapping robots who turn up to the parents' house and say "hand over the child or face the full extent of the law!". Granted they were perhaps too aggressive in recruiting children at times but reducing them to "re-textured Sith Lords" is a gross over-simplification. A true Sith Lord would murder the parents and take the child to turn him/her into an empty shell. There are nuances here.**

**-Yeah but… what was Obi-Wan supposed to do when he found out Anakin was still alive? Go apologize? Fight him again to finish the job? And what are you talking about "train Luke to kill the Sith". His mission was to protect him until he was old enough to be taught the ways of the Force. I mean for God's sake stop acting like Obi-Wan being unable to kill-off the man who was like a son and a brother to him that he's trained since he was a child, is some great sign of hypocrisy! Obi-Wan always held out hope that Anakin could be turned, and even if he wasn't able to return him to the Light, he wasn't just going to stab him while he's down. Why do you put brother in quotation marks? Their relationship was just that: a brotherly, and I'd even say fatherly, bond. So I'm sorry you don't just go "well time to end it now" and kill your best friend in cold blood when he can't defend himself. Obi-Wan even told Yoda that he should be the one to face Anakin since he knew he couldn't bring himself to kill him.**

**-And the final little nugget about "releasing the feelings into the Force". Oh wow! So that's how it works. You do something terrible that scarred you emotionally, but just "release it into the Force" and poof! It's wiped clean from your memory. I guess Anakin should have used that trick after he murdered those younglings and strangled Padme to death, someone should have told him about that. As I understand it "releasing your emotions into the Force" is like meditating to center yourself and keep your emotions under control. It's not a magic spell that wipes away your trauma. So yes, Obi-Wan could and probably did "release his emotions into the Force" after mutilating Anakin, and probably several times before when they were fighting and Anakin kept telling him the Jedi were evil and whatnot. But Obi-Wan, and Yoda for that matter, still carry the pain and anguish of having lost almost all their friends in the Jedi Order. You can't just "release into the Force" having your entire Order decimated and it being your own apprentice who helped do it.**

**RFK22: Yeah, poor lava :/. He was just looking out for his new friend but Obi-Wan couldn't let him sacrifice himself so carelessly. I hope you enjoy this new chapter and may the Force be with you!**

**CLance5: I'm glad to hear you like knowing about their backgrounds. I think it was important to humanize them and make you empathize with them as much as possible. Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**Lazymanjones96: Your wish is my command ;) Here's a new chapter for ya.**

**ALRIGHT PEOPLE, THAT'S ALL THE COMMENTS FOR THIS CHAPTER! WITHOUT FURTHER ADO LET'S JUMP INTO CHAPTER 13!**

**Please favorite, comment and follow if you enjoyed. And if you didn't like it, please tell me why in a constructive and respectful manner.**

* * *

"_Trust the Jedi Master, she said! The Jedi knows what he's doing she said,_" Muna yelled in frustration, distractedly firing another burst of laser fire around the bend towards the attacking Stormtroopers.

"_Muna, we have to push past these guys,_" Nerrown shouted past the explosions. "_We'll never make it off the planet if we can't get to the control room._"

"_We'll take care of this._" Yva spoke with malicious glee.

"_Just stay close to us."_ her brother finished with a grin.

"_Do not be rash, twins,"_ Inuzo rebuked them. "_We must form a plan._"

"_We just gave you a plan!_" they replied in unison, shooting her a cocky smile.

Before Inuzo could reply, Yva and Ova jumped out of cover and started pushing their way towards the Stormtroopers who were firing at them from down the hall. Ova spun his chain in front of him, deflecting the oncoming blaster fire.

The Stormtroopers were clearly terrified by the two death-defying warriors. One by one, they were being shot down by their own blaster bolts, all the while the twins moved closer and closer.

"Bring out the big guns! Now!" the squad commander yelled.

All the standard Stormtroopers started to retreat down the corridor, continuing to fire at Yva and Ova.

"_Where are you all going?_" Yva asked with a maniacal grin.

"_Scaredy slugs! Scaredy slugs!_" Ova added giddily.

The last Stormtroopers turned a corner at the end of the corridor, and someone much worse replaced them. His armor was the same color as a Stormtrooper's, but it was much bulkier with thicker plating and a large black visor over its reinforced helmet. He was surrounded by a blue shield sphere, out of which protruded the muzzle of a chaingun, connected to a power cell strapped to his back.

Yva and Ova's eyes went wide as they realized their fatal error, just as the chaingun trooper pressed the trigger and let fly hundreds of blaster bolts at them.

The twins were struck by several lasers that sent them crumbling to the ground. Just in time, Inuzo leapt in front of them and held up her wide-brimmed hat like a shield to block the incoming fire. Muna and Nerrown quickly pulled the twins away, retreating to cover.

The Parwan, approached both of them with a concerned look. He had some healing knowledge but his solemn gaze let everyone know that their situation was far beyond his abilities. Their bodies were riddled with blaster impacts that were slowly seeping blood into their tunics.

Their breathing was shallow. Sweat formed on their brow; their eyes lost their focus. Yva held out her hand towards her brother who grasped it tightly over his heart. A wide smile appeared on his face as a tentative smile graced his lips.

"_Are we Scaredy slugs?_" he asked jokingly.

"_No_," Yva replied, slowly pushing herself to her feet. "_We're the proud warriors of Iridonia. We eat Scaredy slugs for breakfast._"

Inuzo cast a glance around the bend to see the chaingun trooper getting closer.

"_What are we doing?"_ she asked bluntly.

Ova stumbled over to Nerrown, falling onto him and clutching his shoulders for support. He whispered in his ear, his voice a semi-delirious drawl:

"Give me your deadliest mix, Gas Bag."

Nerrown looked hesitantly over to Muna, who nodded back soberly. The Parwan reached into his satchel and brought out a purple and red canister, about the size of a human fist.

"It'll be over in fifteen seconds," the Parwan spoke with a shy smile. "It's my magnum opus. I call it: 'Going Home'."

Ova nodded slowly, patting Nerrown on the shoulder and grabbing the canister. He limped over to his sister who wrapped her arms around him and laid a delicate kiss on his cheek.

"_I love you."_

"_I know_."

In a united, symmetrical movement, they both removed a syringe from their belt, filled with a bright green liquid, and injected it directly into their chests. Their red eyes intensified, the blood gushing from their wounds increased but their strength seemed to return to their bodies.

Yva and Ova cast a final glance to the rest of their squad and delivered a final nod and smile before rounding the corner and rushing towards the chaingun trooper. He opened fire again, the lasers tore straight through the twins' vital organs yet they continued to run towards him. The trooper was visibly unnerved by these demons bearing down on him and took several tentative steps back, but it was too late. Yva tackled him to the ground with all her strength, slipping inside the personal shield. Ova slid in next to his sister inside the blue sphere and pulled the pin on the canister, letting out a thick purple cloud that was trapped within the confines of the shield.

Yva and Ova held each other close, as they felt their extremities go numb. They held each other as close as they could; legs intertwined, chest against chest, forehead to forehead. They did not take their eyes off each other, even as their peripheral vision began to blur and darken, slowly narrowing their sight down to a point. They allowed themselves to share a single tear, for each other and those they'd lost.

Ova felt his sister's breath against his cheek grow faint, and he assumed she must have been feeling the same.

Yva could not see anymore. There was only darkness. Now her mind followed her eyes…

…

…

"_You kids aren't going to sleep all day, are you?"_

They immediately recognized the authoritative yet kind voice. Out of the darkness, two figures emerged, bringing the light with them. As they came into view, Yva and Ova could make out their distinctive red face tattoos and long horns growing on their heads.

"_Let them sleep a little longer if they want, dear. They deserve it._" the woman's tone was melodious and soft, like notes on an instrument, drifting through a cool summer breeze.

"_They certainly do. We're so proud of you._" the man's expression softened as he kneeled down next to the twins.

"_I'm not tired, daddy._" Yva spoke. Her voice was insistent like a child's. Because she was a child.

"_I'm not tired either, mom._" Ova chipped in. A child always had to appear strong next to his sibling. Because he was a child.

"_That's good to hear,_" the woman let out a delicate laugh that echoed through the darkness, pushing it away. "_I was wondering if we could go to the waterfall today?"_

"_I want to go to the waterfall!"_ Ova squealed joyfully.

"_Me too, me too!"_ Yva echoed, jumping up and down with excitement.

The man let out a guttural laugh. A laugh that projected such strength and joy, it banished the darkness entirely. Now they could finally see. They were standing on a dirt track, surrounded by green pastures and snowy mountains ahead of them.

The man reached down, picked Yva up like she weighed nothing and placed her atop his shoulders.

"_Well let's get going then,"_ he spoke with a wide smile. "_Wouldn't want the water to get warm._"

"_Hey! No fair."_ Ova looked up at his father with a disappointed pout.

"_Now, now, no frowning," _his mother rebuked jokingly. "_Wouldn't want it to be the face you were stuck with._"

With that, she hooked her arms under Ova's armpits and lifted him onto her shoulders.

They walked up the path. Parents holding hands; children holding hands.

The twins had a sneaking feeling that this was all too perfect. That reality wasn't this ideal. But in the end, it didn't matter. They were no longer bound by reality. And this was a fantasy they were more than happy to live in forever…

* * *

"Plorg, blind them." June whispered.

The Ugnaught let out a low grumble, not taking his eyes off the device he was using to hack the Citadel's security cameras.

At this point he was beginning to question why he'd agreed to this insane plan in the first place. He'd joined the Rebel Alliance as an enlisted soldier, and for a reason he still couldn't fathom, had been assigned to a platoon of Rahm Kota's commandos.

He assumed it was in part due to the reputation the Ugnaughts had for being the hardest-working species in the galaxy, which wasn't entirely unmerited. Plorg's craft was programming, coding, and by extension, hacking. He did not feel his skills were particularly exceptional, but apparently his comrades thought otherwise since they appointed him "tech specialist" of the platoon.

His diminutive stature meant he'd gotten close to Kochew, the Wookie, who always carried him on her shoulders when things got heated. Kochew, like all Wookies, had an intense and personal hatred towards the Empire. Their home planet of Kashyyk had been mercilessly subjugated by the Empire after the Clone Wars. Many Wookies were enslaved since their massive and robust physiology made them excellent workhorses.

Kochew's size and personality matched the weapons she carried. If Plorg was the "tech specialist", Kochew had to be the "demolition specialist". Aside from the absurd quantity of thermal detonators she had on her person, she had also carried a DLT-19 heavy blaster rifle. Her ability for detecting structural weaknesses and forming battle plans revealed her profound intellect, which many people underestimated considering how she only communicated through growls and purrs.

Plorg had finally finished setting all the cameras in the next hallway to a loop so they could pass undetected. He put away his holotablet and looked up at June:

"They are blind. I have spoken."

June smiled to herself at the strange speech habit of the Ugnaught. Plorg had once told her it was a tradition in his family to use that turn of phrase, but she hadn't been curious enough to ask for details.

Their group was currently missing two members. The two humans of the group, aside from June and Rex, were Markin and Katerina. They were both former Imperials who had switched sides for the Rebels. June had given both of them the Stormtrooper armor from the sewers and had sent them to blend in with the rest of the garrison. Hopefully, they could glean some important information and back them up if things got dicey.

"You're up, Rynth." June looked towards the tall Bothan who nodded back and carefully glanced at the empty corridor ahead of them.

"Absolutely no one," he spoke ominously. "Very clearly a trap."

"Yeah, you're telling me," June said, rolling her eyes. "Kochew, you got that detonator handy?"

The Wookie held it up and let out an affirmative growl.

"Good. Which cell is he in, Plorg?" June asked the Ugnaught.

"Cell 2224." he replied evenly.

Rex sucked his teeth in frustration which caught June's attention.

"Sound familiar?"

"It's Cody's Clone designation: CC-2224," he replied calmly. "They're mocking us."

"No kidding," June snorted. "All right, we're moving in. Kochew, make sure that detonator's ready."

Seeing everyone nod resolutely, June took point, moving slowly down the corridor. The others followed, taking each step with measured caution. There wasn't a sound, apart from distant cries of pain.

Every cell had a nondescript black door with digits printed on the front: 2216, 2218, 2220… The other side was odd numbers, and everything was illuminated by dim red lights as if to underline the horrors that happened behind these doors.

As they passed cell 2222, the tension in the group grew exponentially. With extreme caution, June approached cell 2224 and pressed the button to open the door. It swished open and June pointed her blaster into… an empty cell.

"Damn," she whispered. "Alright, Rex and Plorg come with me. Kochew and Rynthan, you guard the entrance."

June proceeded inside, followed by the Clone and the Ugnaught, who both held blaster pistols, and carefully scanned the dark room.

"Cody? Are you there?" Rex asked.

"_I'm afraid you're looking in the wrong place." _the menacing voice of commander Poin spoke from the darkness.

Suddenly, hidden wall panels flipped open to reveal an entire squad of Stormtroopers, their blasters angled straight at the three of them. Outside the cell, they could hear Kochew growling which meant there were likely soldiers outside as well.

"_Please lay down your weapons," _Poin spoke in mock-worry. "_Two of your comrades are already dead, it would be a shame to have any more losses today."_

Kochew let out a loud growl of rage at Poin's words. June had to bite back her own anger to make sure she didn't do something stupid.

"Everyone, put down your weapons!" she called out. "Just put them down. Kochew, remember Ancelon, baby. It's just like Ancelon."

June didn't hear any growls of protest, just a thud as the Wookie dropped her heavy blaster rifle to the floor.

"_Excellent,_" Poin's voice slithered over the loudspeaker. "_Now; we may talk._"

* * *

Obi-Wan felt the power of the Force brimming inside him and he wanted to take advantage of it. But he also knew that if he tipped his hand, the Inquisitors would simply go on the defensive until his power wore out.

Obi-Wan broke out of his run several feet before he reached the Inquisitors and stood patiently before them. They had all descended from the troop carrier and were each eying him with contempt, stoicism and the last one Obi-Wan couldn't tell since he wore a mask.

"Hello there," Obi-Wan spoke with a hint of humor. "What brings you three out this far?"

The Seventh Sister's contempt turned into disgust, while the Fifth Brother's stoicism remained unchanged. However, Obi-Wan could feel he was hitting a nerve with the third one.

"That slouch and bulky helmet mustn't be easy for you in this terrain," Obi-Wan said casually to the Eighth Brother.

The Jedi Master could sense his anger seething just below the surface.

"We've sent your beast scampering off, Jedi," he grunted and growled. "Now we will finish you off and— "

"I really don't mean to interrupt, but how on earth do you see out of that thing?" Obi-Wan asked with a quizzical gaze.

"Enough of your games, Jedi!" the Eight Brother bellowed. "I will kill you myself and present your body to the Emperor."

"Come and try it then." Obi-Wan replied with an unwavering tone and a deathly calm gaze.

The Eight Brother produced his double-bladed spinning lightsaber and ignited it. He held it in a similar way Obi-Wan had seen Darth Maul wield his double-edged saber.

The Inquisitor did not wait for Obi-Wan and rushed the Jedi Master at full speed, angling his saber like a spear.

The Jedi Master closed his eyes and allowed the Force to fully take over his body. It was like he was no longer Obi-Wan; his identity had been replaced by the Living Force itself. Everything was frozen in time. The Inquisitor running towards him was like a slug crawling across a leaf, and atop that slug, Obi-Wan could spot a shining dot.

Obi-Wan remembered a conversation he'd had with Mace Windu about his ability to sense and see shatterpoints. The Jedi Master had described it as the ability to see the future, but only as fragmented warnings. In combat, he'd described it as a special sense that guided his blade to where it needed to strike in order to win.

Obi-Wan saw the small shining dot on the Eighth Brother and he could make out a thread that linked that point to the edge of his blade. If he followed that thread, victory would be his. All this he saw and understood in a fraction of a second, which was exactly how long the fight lasted.

The Eight Brother stopped in his tracks. Obi-Wan was inches away from him. He'd blinked, and suddenly the Jedi Master was there. The Inquisitor felt his body grow extremely heavy. His legs slipped out from under him and he crumpled to the ground.

In fact, his legs had literally slipped out from under him since they were no longer attached to his body. Obi-Wan's blade had run from his right shoulder down to his left hip bone and straight through everything in between. The Eight Brother could feel nothing but pain, which he directed into hatred towards the old Jedi towering over him.

"Die you worthless Jedi scum! Rot in hell!" he spat, blood leaking from his mouth. "I will torture you within an inch of your life and keep you alive like the dog you are so you know that— "

His threats were interrupted by an invisible hand tightening around his throat. He desperately gasped for breath as his upper body was lifted off the ground.

"You bring dishonor to the Inquisitorius and to your Emperor," the Fifth Brother spoke, his voice layered with murderous vengeance. "It is YOU who will die like a dog."

The Fifth Brother slowly closed his fist. The Eighth Brother tried to fight it, all the while blood continued to leak out of his wound onto the volcanic dirt beneath him.

"All hail… Darth Sidious." he managed to whisper before the Fifth Brother completely closed his fist.

The bowl-churning sound of a trachea and spinal cord being crushed was followed by the thud of the Eighth Brother's body hitting the ground.

Obi-Wan had watched the entire spectacle in quiet disgust. This was the way of the Sith, and the idea that it could attract anyone sickened him. Once you pushed past the noble veneer that people like Count Dooku tried to project onto the Dark Side, it's true nature was laid bare. Death, betrayal, jealousy, rage, suffering... That was all the Dark Side offered.

"You will not be able to keep up this power indefinitely, Jedi," the Fifth Brother spoke calmly again. "Only death awaits you in this duel."

"Your move." Obi-Wan replied defiantly.

* * *

"I have a bad feeling about this." Plorg muttered to himself as he followed his comrades into the control center.

"Don't start with that, Plorg." June spoke swiftly, giving him a slight kick so he didn't say anything stupid.

She was meticulously analyzing every detail around her, trying to find her opening. The control center had many structural similarities to the control bridge on a capital ship. At the front was a large glass window that gave out onto the barren wasteland of Lola Sayu, instead of empty space. All the Imperial technicians worked in "pits", which were lowered relative to where the commander stood. The center of the room was occupied by a large holotable and a throne-like chair, in which lounged commander Poin; his face a perfect visual representation of the word "smug".

"Lieutenant June You," Poin spoke slowly and deliberately as the Stormtroopers lined the commandos up in front of him. "You and your men are quite the infamous bunch."

"Can't imagine why," she replied placidly. "I've heard stuff about you too."

June's eyes continued to roam the room. There were two Stormtroopers guarding each member of her group, but what bothered her more were the Death Troopers watching over the whole exchange from various corners of the room. She had heard about their skills and was desperately trying to think of a way to neutralize them. For now, she had nothing.

June also noticed their weapons had been piled onto a cart, guarded by two more Stormtroopers. In total, there were twelve Stormtroopers in the room and four Death Troopers, with two more waiting outside. Those were the immediate threats June saw in this room.

_Good. So what next?_ she wondered to herself.

"I try not to pay too much attention to the gossip people spread about me," Poin spoke distractedly, as he glanced over the Rebel's weapons. "Oh, but speaking of gossip…"

Poin reached out and picked up Rex's battered phase II Clone Trooper helmet. He ran his hands along the various scuffs and carves that symbolized Rex's prowess in battle. Its blue accents were faded but still very much visible.

"To think I now have two of you…" he said in a dream-like trance, eying Rex as if he were an exotic bird. "You can't imagine how hard it is to find your kind in a healthy condition these days."

Rex did his best to keep his mounting anger under control. He wasn't handcuffed but he knew the Stormtroopers behind him likely had their blasters aimed straight at his back. If he tried anything now, he'd be dead before he wrapped his hands around Poin's neck.

"We weren't genetically designed for extended life spans," Rex spoke through gritted teeth. "Combined with being forced to kill the people we were born to serve and it's no wonder Palpatine pretty much wiped us out."

"But there are still those like you and your friend who weren't affected by the cellular degeneration," Poin's fascination was quickly wearing on Rex's nerves. "I wonder if it's related to your design as high ranking officers, or perhaps something more individualistic?"

Rex did not answer. He simply held Poin's gaze until the latter broke away to turn towards the holotable, casually throwing Rex's helmet onto it.

"I'd like you to see something," he spoke to no one in particular. "Captain, bring up a holoprojection of the fight outside."

"Right away, sir."

A couple seconds later, the holotable flickered to life to reveal four figures in a standoff, lightsabers in hand.

"Oh we've arrived just at the right time!" Poin was like a child pulling the legs off an insect. "We will all get to see the great general Kenobi finally meet his end."

Rex tried to move forward but the Stormtroopers behind him held him back, pushing their blasters harder into his back. Rex hated feeling powerless, but in this moment all he had was his faith that the general had an ace up his sleeve.

"He certainly is less impressive than I'd imagined," Poin commented drily as he examined Obi-Wan's hologram. "Only one arm. Withered with age. Are we sure this is the great 'Negotiator' of the Clone Wars?"

Kochew let out a low growl in support of the Jedi Master which no one apart from the Rebels understood.

"I sure hope you're right, Ko." June muttered, her eyes fixed upon the holotable, unwilling to look away.

They watched it for one whole minute. A minute that seemed to draw on for hours, but every second was absolute ecstasy. For the Rebels at least. Their eyes were wide with wonder, their jaws hung open in shock. Even Rex, who'd seen Obi-Wan pull of many impressive feats in the past, had just seen something he couldn't quite believe.

"Turn it off!" Poin screamed at the Imperial technicians who quickly scrambled to kill the video feed. The hologram disappeared. The image was gone, but its effect remained.

Several seconds passed where no one said a word. Everyone who wasn't a Rebel had a nervous knot in their stomach. It was least visible in the Death Troopers, but most visible in Poin, who pushed and pulled on his gut as he loosened several buttons on his uniform.

"Awkward." June muttered, eliciting chuckles and smiles from the Rebels.

"Silence!" Poin yelled, stalking up to June and grabbing her face in his hand. "I will no longer hear any backtalk from you!"

"Watch me," June spoke with a murderous gleam in her eyes. "NOW!"

Before anyone could react, Kochew let out a growl which activated the detonator that she'd set to activate on a code word.

The explosion rocked the entire Citadel, as if it were hit by an earthquake. Everyone was thrown to the ground, but the Rebels were able to anticipate it and stay on their feet. They sprang towards what was important and after several seconds, once the shaking had subsided, everyone was able to take stock of what had happened.

Kochew and Rynthan had immediately leapt on the cart carrying their weapons since they were the ones closest to it. They'd tackled the two Stormtroopers guarding it and swiftly snapped their necks. Kochew was holding her heavy blaster rifle, while Rynthan had his smoking blaster pistol pointed at the now dead body of a Death Trooper (the irony of their name was not lost on Rynthan).

Two Stormtroopers had actually shot two of their comrades, but when they removed their helmets, it became clear why. It was Markin and Katerina who pointed their blasters at the three remaining Death Troopers, who in turn, aimed their weapons towards them. The other six remaining Stormtroopers pointed their guns indecisively at the different Rebels.

June was holding Poin hostage with a simple wooden hairpin held against his carotid artery. Rex has elbowed one of the Stormtroopers in the gut, stolen his blaster rifle and was now back to back with June, keeping the Imperial technicians in his sights.

The only Rebel who didn't have a weapon was Plorg. In horror, everyone quickly saw why. The Ugnaught was lying on the durasteel floor, hands clutching his gut to cover a smoking wound that was bleeding profusely. Following the line of fire, everyone understood that Plorg had been shot by the Death Trooper whom Rynthan had then killed. But this justice comforted no one.

"Plorg! Stay with me, buddy!" June yelled at him, tightening her grip on Poin. "Don't any of you come any closer! I'll kill him, you know I will!"

Plorg had managed to lift himself up into a sitting position. The compression it was creating on his guts was incredibly painful, but the hardworking Ugnaught did not care. He cast his large, intelligent eyes across the room, looking to each of his comrades.

"I believe… it is my time. It was my great honor… fighting with you all."

"Stop it, Plorg!" June tried to fight back tears, as well as the urge to kill Poin right where he stood. "Keep pressure on the wound. You'll make it!"

Kochew let out a desperate growl to her long-time friend. It was hard to make out amongst the mounds of fur, but it was clear she was crying.

"_Don't leave me, you idiot,_" she groaned, grief-stricken. "_Think about all the plans we'd made!_"

"I know… I'm so sorry," Plorg spoke softly, clenching his teeth from the pain. "I wish we'd… had more time."

Plorg gave the Wookie a warm smile as he laid back down on the floor, not taking his eyes off her. His blood had pooled into a hallow around him, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Goodbye, my friends. I have spoken."

The Rebels watched as Plorg chest rose once… twice; noticeably lower… a third time; barely visible… and not a fourth. His small frame was still. His hands were linked like he'd just lied down for a nap, atop a blood-red blanket.

* * *

**DAMN IT WE'RE DONE! THE DARKNESS CAN FINALLY REST FOR A LITTLE BIT!**

**So yeah… that was a thing. I don't know if those character deaths felt impactful to you as you read it? Obviously it's hard to form an intimate bond with characters I just introduced one chapter ago, but I hope it at least didn't feel like I a throwaway death. Any thought about those deaths and how they were written is welcome.**

**Some of you may be wondering: "But wait a minute, I thought you said the Citadel Arc would be over by chapter 13?"**

**Well you're absolutely right, and the short answer is: I LIED (MUHAHAHAHA!)**

**All jokes aside, I just realized that if I wanted to make this as effective and meaningful as I wanted, I needed to flesh it out and develop it much more. I'm not going to promise that the Arc will end by chap 14 but definitely by chap 15.**

**I could have release one big mega chapter that would have concluded the Arc in this chapter, but both for my own satisfaction and yours, I preferred to publish these 11 pages, which is already not bad, instead of 30 pages which would mean even more wait.**

**So yeah! Tell me what you thought about Obi-Wan's fight. For it and the character death's I'm trying to develop a "poetic" style (I don't like that word but I think it sort of describes it) that makes the descriptions more impactful… Anyway, tell me if you like it and if it worked.**

**As always, comments, favorites and follows are all greatly appreciated!**

**ALSO, I'M ON EPISODE 4 OF THE MANDALORIAN, AND WOW! I MEAN I'M SURE YOU ALREADY SAW THE OBVIOUS REFERENCE IN THIS CHAPTER, ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER LINES I QUOTED.**

**I'M ITCHING TO GIVE A CAMEO TO A PARTICULAR LITTLE GREEN CHARACTER WE ALL LOVE AT SOME POINT DOWN THE LINE… ;) TELL ME IF THAT SOUNDS APPEALING AS WELL AS ANY THOUGHTS YOU HAVE ABOUT THE MANDALORIAN TV SERIES.**


	14. Bonds of the Past

**CHAPTER 14 INCOMING!**

**This is the second to last chapter of the Citadel Arc. I feel I can call it with fairly good certainty.**

**I'm going to see Star Wars Ep 9 next Wednesday. Time to see how they decide to end this saga. I have very little love for episode 7 and 8 but Disney have got their claws in me, I still have to see number 9 ;)**

**How about we get straight into comments:**

**-RKF22: Thanks a lot! I'm happy you're enjoying it. I was always a bit unsatisfied with how some of these character deaths were brought on but I'm glad to hear they had an effect on you. Ultimately yes, the mission does come first, and not always for the better. Obi-Wan's fight is reaching its crescendo, by the end, he should have learned a valuable lesson. The master never ceases to be a student ;) May the Force be with you!**

**-Quiyes: It warms my heart to hear you say that! This entire fanfic was started because I felt there weren't any good fanfics that focused on old Ben surviving the Death Star; it seemed to be more of Obi-Wan being sent back in time to the Clone Wars to fix things (love it too, but old Ben is epic also).**

**It just made sense to have Obi-Wan maintain his training continue improving his skills. Of course, physically he's getting older but his abilities with the Force have gotten sharper and better. The trick is now to find the right balance between making him a very powerful Jedi Master but also making sure there are foes that can give him a hard time. He deals with his aging body a lot like Dooku or Yoda, using the Force to enhance his movements and his agility when he needs to.**

**I'm really excited to bring Yoda into the picture :). He's my dude and I love him so much as a character. Hopefully, I can find a balance between the mischievous and "nutty" Yoda of episode 5 and the wiser and pragmatic Yoda from the Clone Wars.**

**I get a lot of questions about all the supporting characters that could be brought in. I'm down for it but I need to find a way to weave them into the narrative and hopefully make them come back later on. I'm going to play Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order at Christmas, so maybe Cal Kestis and Cere will make an appearance. Concerning the other characters, you mentioned, I can't say I know enough about them to well integrate them into the story, unfortunately. Sorry.**

**Thank you for all your encouragement, and don't worry, I am planning quite a long adventure for dear Obi-Wan ;)**

**-** **Alfa123: you ask; I deliver :)**

**-** **WolfbrotherTitan: I also think it's interesting when Jedi are confronted and maybe even experience the Dark Side. After watching the final episodes of Clone Wars the TV series, Yoda seems to suggest that HE once experimented with the Dark Side. That very notion is fascinating to me and it can be a testament to a Jedi's power that he saw first-hand what the Dark Side could give him and decided "no, this is not the way".**

**-Destrark: oh for sure the scene between Maul and Obi-Wan happened years before A New Hope. Luke was basically a child back then. But that's what's fun with a fanfiction, you can play around with chronology. Don't worry, I'm aware it happened way before.**

**The whole thing with Obi-Wan's age and his Force abilities always left me a bit unsatisfied. If we consider the amount of time that passes between ep 3 and 4, he certainly wouldn't be in his prime anymore, but he'd still be super powerful, even more so if we continued his training.**

**I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Excited to hear any more feedback you have!**

**Those are all the questions from last chapter, so let's just get to it. As always, please favorite, comment and follow.**

* * *

Rex hated standoffs. An obvious position, but this particular situation reaffirmed it with painful clarity. On one side, the Imperials who had killed Plorg, and on the other, the Rebels who were holding the commander of the Citadel hostage. A potent and unstable mix that could blow up at any point.

"All of you put your weapons down! NOW!" June screamed at the Imperials. Poin barely had any room to speak; the hairpin was dangerously close to his throat.

The Stormtroopers glanced uncertainly towards the Death Troopers who kept their rifles trained on the Rebels. The two Death Troopers who were guarding the entrance had entered after hearing the commotion. It was now five Death Troopers and seven Stormtroopers against six Rebels.

"Don't test me, bucketheads!" June eyes were murderous. "I won't hesitate."

"You don't know what you're bargaining with," Poin managed to speak, chuckling softly. "My vitals are tied to the Citadel's self-destruct system. Kill me, and no one gets off this planet alive."

"You're bluffing." June ground out, millimeters away from Poin's ear.

"If you care so little for the lives of your men, by all means, see if I am." Poin spoke maliciously. His snake-like smile disappeared when June connected her fist with his nose; shattering it and causing it to bleed onto his uniform and her wrist.

"And you believe me when I say there's plenty I can do to you that would make you wish you were dead." June's tone was so cold and devoid of its earlier calm and wit, it genuinely worried Rex.

"Lieutenant," the Clone spoke up to get her attention. "For now, we're at a standstill. Let me try to locate Cody and then we can decide what to do next."

June stayed silent for several seconds. Rex could see her shoulder rise and drop evenly as she drew several calming breaths. When she spoke again, Rex was happy to see a glimpse of her normal self:

"Alright, Rex. Do what you have to do. Everyone else, start moving towards us."

The other Rebels did as they were told. Kochew and Rynthan used the cart as cover and moved it over to Plorg's body. The Wookie avoided looking at him as she picked him up with one arm and placed him on the cart, all while keeping the Imperials in her sights.

Markin and Katerina carefully extricated themselves from the Stormtrooper's midst to stand beside the others. They were now facing the Imperials in a half-circle formation, back facing the large glass window.

Rex moved closer to the Imperial technicians, picking his helmet off the holotable and placing it on his head.

"Where's Cody?" he asked, his tone warning for an immediate answer. "Where's the Clone you brought here?"

From the various looks the technicians gave each other, and the way some looked over to Poin who stayed silent, Rex could already tell who was going to spill the beans.

He fired a dramatic shot a couple of inches away from one of them, hitting the back of the chair he'd been sitting in.

"The next one'll be on your forehead," Rex spoke, trying to sound as inhuman and uncompassionate as possible. "Where. Is. The Clone."

One of the more courageous and foolish technicians, stepped forward, head raised in defiance.

"We'd rather die than reveal anything to you, Rebel sc— "

His sentence was cut short by a blaster bolt to his kneecap that sent him to the ground. Any other defiant looks were quickly wiped off the other technicians' faces.

Rex took another step forward, standing on the edge of the pits.

"Anyone else want to be a hero?" he asked rhetorically, heightening the menace in his voice. "I'm done playing. Maybe if I kill a couple of you, you'll understand I'm being serious."

Rex aimed his blaster at the prone technician who was holding his wounded knee. He deliberately placed his finger on the trigger and let out an internal sigh of relief when someone yelled:

"No! Don't hurt him! I'll show you where he is."

The speaker was a young man, no older than Luke, with tufts of curly blond hair poking out from under his beret. He had a dash of freckles that ran along his cheeks and over his nose, paired with striking blue eyes and a fresh cut on the side of his chin.

"You damn traitor." the wounded technician spat out before Rex silenced him with a stun round.

Rex did the same with all the others, leaving the young technician surrounded by the unconscious bodies of his comrades.

"Do it." Rex stated simply.

As the boy busied himself behind his console, Rex shot a quick glance over his shoulder. The Death Troopers were like statues. He could swear they had barely even flinched since this whole standoff started. This was in stark contrast to the Stormtroopers who were slowly losing their nerve.

"Her he is."

Rex turned back to the technician who moved aside to show him the security footage of a man in a cell, dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit. The footage was poor, but when he raised his head, Rex could make out the scar he would recognize anywhere. It was Cody.

Rex glanced at the information of the video. It indicated it was from cell 4222.

"You did good, kid." he stated simply before stunning him as well.

Rex returned to June's side and whispered:

"I know where he is. We need to get to the fourth level."

"Easier said than done." June muttered, staring dispassionately at who was between them and the exit.

* * *

Obi-Wan was struggling; struggling to channel the immense power at his disposal. This was his first time using such an intense Force technique and he was spending a lot of energy trying to control it.

The Inquisitors were fighting defensively, using their spinning blades to keep Obi-Wan from getting an opening. They occasionally dashed forward with a quick attack which he parried easily but managed to keep him off-balance. He was unable to steady his mind and bring this power under his control as he had done before.

"You are weak, Jedi," the Seventh Sister taunted. "Like all your fallen kind, you have no idea how to truly wield the power of the Force."

She thought she could distract him with taunts, but Obi-Wan had spent his entire life priding himself on wielding words as effectively as a lightsaber. If she hoped to fell his concentration, she'd have to do better than that.

"My dear, I feel you should be teaching your colleague how to truly wield the Force's power, not me." Obi-Wan replied casually, cocking his head towards the mutilated corpse of the Eighth Brother.

The Seventh Sister seethed and was about to respond, but the Fifth Brother's hard-hitting baritone prevented her:

"Calm yourself, Sister. This is part of his tactic. He wishes for you to lose focus so you commit a mistake. Do not fall for his tricks."

Obi-Wan shot an even look at the Fifth Brother. In addition to being the most powerful of the three (well, the two now), his calm demeanor and formal delivery reminded him of Count Dooku. Both seemed to possess a superiority complex that wouldn't allow them to stoop to the "rabble's" level.

Obi-Wan took several steps to the left, deftly swinging his lightsaber in his right hand. The Inquisitors matched his movements, keeping their spinning blades in front of them.

With a speed that caught Obi-Wan off guard, the Fifth Brother ran towards Obi-Wan, pointing his lightsaber at his head to skewer him. With barely an inch to spare, the Jedi Master deflected the hit but he could still feel the heat of the red blade as it skimmed his skull by less than an inch.

On the edge of his peripheral vision, Obi-Wan could see something moving towards him… _something… RED!_

Obi-Wan jerked his whole body backward to avoid the Seventh Sister's swing at his midsection. Unfortunately, he did not have the same luck as before. The previous strike had missed him by less than an inch, but this one cut less than an inch into his flesh.

Obi-Wan felt a burning sensation on his left side and quickly jumped away from the two Inquisitors. He glanced down and saw a red stain that surrounded a charred gash in his tunic. The Jedi Master's mind was in a complete haze as he approached the end of his reserves of Living Force energy.

He instinctively relied on his years of combat experience to locate the source of the pain. He pinpointed its origin and intensity as precisely as he could and all at once; released it into the Force. Like letting out a deep breath, or taking shoes off after a long walk. The pain just disappeared, granting him renewed clarity.

The two Inquisitors were slowly moving towards him, keeping their spinning lightsabers up at all times. Obi-Wan tightened his grip on his lightsaber and profiled his body behind it to offer a smaller target.

"You grow weak, Jedi," the Seventh Sister cooed sadistically. "Your pathetic powers are nothing compared to the might of the Dark Side."

Obi-Wan scoffed at her words, barely hiding the contempt in his voice:

"I've seen what the Dark Side has to offer, and I've seen what happens to those who are tempted by it. All I see are victims of an evil dictator who cares for no one but himself. And in the end, they were destroyed by what they thought would grant them power."

"This power is what will end you, Jedi." the Fifth Brother snarled, his calm façade falling away.

"Strike me down, and I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine." Obi-Wan stared them down defiantly, pointing the end of his lightsaber towards them.

Obi-Wan was trying to think of a way to end this fight, but he could think of nothing besides the obvious. He was ready to give his life here, he always had, but he now had people relying on him. Not just on this planet, but also back with the Rebel Alliance. Luke, Leia, Ahsoka… He couldn't die here.

_Surely, there must be another way. I have to try…_

"_Do or do not. There is no try. Do you remember those words, Obi-Wan?"_

_It can't be…_

* * *

"We are nearly there," Inuzo whispered as she looked around the corner. "This is the last push."

She had essentially taken over command of Beta team from Muna, who was still deeply affected by the loss of the twins. Inuzo knew she felt responsible for what happened, as the leader of the team. Nerrown was even quieter and more reserved than usual.

Inuzo shared her teammates' sorrow over the deaths of Yva and Ova, but unlike them, she'd been trained to never dwell on losses. She did not think it was a lack of compassion, she'd simply been taught that crying and feeling depressed was no way to honor the dead; and dying yourself when someone else had given their lives for you, was an even greater offense.

Inuzo will always remember the twins and their prowess in combat; even the "practical jokes" they sometimes tried to pull on her. She would perhaps allow herself to reminisce when the mission was over, but right now was not the time.

"There are no guards outside the command center," she relayed to the other. "Strange."

Inuzo carefully approached the door, Muna and Nerrown following her closely. She took off her large circular hat, which had taken a beating from their earlier encounter, and laid her ear against the door.

"I think I hear the Captain!" Inuzo whispered sharply to the others who quickly squeezed in next to her to listen in.

"Son of a Bantha," Muna muttered in disbelief. "What the hell are they doing here? The command center was OUR objective!"

"It doesn't sound like they're there because they want to," Nerrown said. "Sounds like they're in a standoff with the Imps."

"Can you make out how many Imperials there are?" Inuzo asked.

Nerrown stayed silent for several seconds, scrunching his features in concentration.

"I can hear one guy talking who I don't recognize, but no other Imps seem to be saying anything."

"Then that means that it won't be long before someone loses their cool," Muna spoke gravely. "We've got go in."

"We need a plan first," Inuzo spoke calmly. She sat cross-legged on the floor, head lowered in concentration. "Attacking headfirst is not an experience I want to reiterate."

Nerrown and Muna caught her innuendo and nodded. Caution was the one behavior they could all agree they needed right now.

"You got anything useful, gasbag?" Muna asked Nerrown who gave her a dispassionate stare at her choice of name.

"Plenty," he answered as he rummaged through his satchel. "From deadly to knockout to smoke screen. But I don't need to bring up the obvious problem, right?"

"There isn't anything that would just affect the Imperials?" Inuzo asked.

The silence that followed made both women's eyes widen as they stared at Nerrown. Inuzo had not asked the question seriously, more out of habit. _There's no way he has that…_

"I HAVE been working on something…" Nerrown spoke cautiously. "I believe I've isolated a particular crystal that is used in the filtration system of Stormtrooper helmets. I have a knockout gas that theoretically would only activate when in contact with said crystal. Though I've never been able to properly test it."

"Looks like you're getting your chance," Muna spoke with an excited grin. "What are we waiting for let's go—"

"Keep going, Nerrown." Inuzo cut her off, not moving from her seated position. There was no such thing as a perfect solution.

"The fact it hasn't been tested," Nerrown continued. "Means it's entirely possible it will either affect our guys or just flat out not work. For all we know, the Imperials have upgraded to a new filtration system, or maybe they have people in there who aren't wearing masks. And there's also the fact that we have one person on our team who is constantly wearing a helmet with a filtration system."

"The Clone," Muna muttered. "That doesn't matter. We're not putting the others' lives at risk over some newly arrived Clone."

"If he ends up being knocked out, that means we'll have to dedicate one or two people to carry him," Inuzo said. "It will slow us down and make the other Clone much less likely to trust us if we show up with the drugged body of his friend."

Another moment of silence passed over the group. Every second felt agonizingly painful since they knew that at any moment, the situation on the other side of that door could turn into a bloodbath.

After ten painfully long seconds, Inuzo spoke:

"Here is what I propose..."

* * *

"If he dies, we all die," June's tone was halfway between a yell and a growl. "Let us pass; you get to live, and can try to catch us later."

As before, her calls for a peaceful resolution fell on deaf ears. The Death Troopers didn't budge; their rifles stayed pointed towards the Rebels.

Rex was starting to feel like they were just delaying an aggressive negotiation. Even Poin wasn't trying to bargain for his life.

"Save your breath, captain," Poin said his words slurred from having his throat constricted by June. "Those Death Troopers are the Inquisitor's personal guards. They take their orders straight from the Emperor. Negotiation is not in their mandate."

"And you're fine with that?" June asked. "Dying with a hairpin stuck in your throat because these guys weren't willing to be reasonable."

Poin let out a short chuckle. He cast an inscrutable gaze over the five Death Troopers.

"I don't care about their mission," he spoke slowly. "Ever since they arrived here, it has caused me nothing but headaches and humiliation. The Emperor's entire plan here is dangerously obsessive, and if it were up to me, I'd have the Inquisitors and those Death Troopers shipped out of here and make sure that Clone is put to good use."

Poin inhaled the blood from his nose into his mouth with a disgusting retch, and spit it out onto the floor.

"However, I know where my loyalties lie. And if I must give up my life for the Empire, I will do it gladly. I'd never let myself become a pawn to be bartered with."

As Poin finished his monologue, Rex saw the Imperials grip their weapons a little tighter. They were only seconds away from…

_BLAM!_

An explosion blasted the door of the command center off its frame, sending it flying into the two Stormtroopers who were standing in front of it. Several canisters were thrown in through the open door, which started releasing large wisps of white gas that filled the room. As this all happened, Kochew and Rynthan flipped the weapons cart on its side to take cover behind it, while Rex and June dove for cover behind the holotable.

The Death Troopers and the Stormtroopers that were still standing opened fire at the Rebels, mercilessly cutting down Markin and Katerina who didn't have time to find cover. They managed to kill two Stormtroopers and wound one Death Troopers before they dropped to the ground; dead.

Inuzo and Muna, both equipped with special goggles that could see through the smoke, entered the command center, ready for battle. Muna quickly dispatched the remaining Stormtroopers with several spirts from her automatic blasters, while Inuzo threw her shield at the closest Death Trooper and prepared to finish him off with a blaster shot to the head.

Unfortunately, she'd underestimated their level of training, and that their helmets were also equipped with lenses that allowed them to see through smoke. The Death Trooper punched the gun out of her hand and threw a punch at her stomach.

With incredible nimbleness, Inuzo spun to avoid the strike, grabbed" the Death Trooper's wrist, and retaliated with a kick directly to his helmet. She then brought her foot down onto the arm she was holding, breaking the Death Trooper's arm in half.

From there, she wrapped both her arms around his neck and snapped it in one swift, surgical motion. She had been surprised by his initial resilience, but he never stood a chance against her in hand to hand combat.

The three remaining Death Troopers opened fire on Inuzo. One shot grazed her arms before she was able to use her hat to protect Muna and herself. The other Rebels were now returning fire as the smoke started to clear, but the three Death Troopers weren't interested in a fight.

As they forced Inuzo and Muna to back away from the door, they used the opening to make a run out of the command center.

Muna moved to chase them, but June stopped her:

"Do not pursue," she ordered, doing her best to wrestle Poin who was trying to break out of her grip. "We need to regroup and finish the mission. Someone bring me some binders."

Muna paused for a couple seconds in front of the open door before she spat on the body of the Death Trooper Inuzo had killed and turned back to help her friends. As she did, Nerrown stuck his head through the jamb with a nervous look.

"Are they dead?"

"Almost," Muna replied. She upholstered her blaster and shot the wounded Death Trooper who was trying to get up. "We're good."

Inuzo helped June get Poin in some binders, adding a gag for good measure. Rex offered to keep an eye on him as everyone else gathered at the center of the room, beside the bodies of Markin and Katerina.

June looked over to Kochew who quietly placed Plorg's body next to his comrades'. Muna and Inuzo both produced the twins' weapons. They placed Yva's daggers and Ova's spiked chain next to each other, between Markin and Katerina.

June drew a shaky breath, tears brimming in her eyes. She couldn't look away from her fallen comrades as she spoke:

"Today, we say farewell to five of the bravest and greatest soldiers I have ever had the pleasure of fighting with. They all believed that this galaxy was meant to be free and just, so they fought for that ideal, and in the end, made the ultimate sacrifice to uphold it…"

June voice cracked slightly. Muna laid a comforting hand on her back, rubbing in small circles as she gently stroked the braids on her Iekku.

"It is now our solemn duty to see this mission through to the end," she spoke, once her voice was steady. "We WILL finish this mission, we WILL free the galaxy from the Empire's grip, and when our times come, whenever it may be, we WILL all be reunited."

June finally looked up from her fallen friends and saw that the others were all nodding. Rynthan was patting Kochew on the shoulder, who had her arm draped around his neck. Inuzo simply placed her hand on Nerrown's shoulder as he wept softly.

"May the Force be with them."

They all muttered agreement and slowly started to break the circle, returning their minds to the mission at hand. The sadness and grief were slowly replaced by focus and a thirst for revenge.

June approached Rex who was keeping Poin on his knees; blaster pointed at his skull.

"What do we do with him?" she asked half to herself, half to Rex. "He feels like just the kind of nutcase who'd rig his vitals to the self-destruct system, but keeping him with us will only slow us down."

"We don't have much of a choice," Rex answered. "He could still be a bargaining tool with his men. We should split up. I can go rescue Cody by myself. The garrison is in shambles; they won't be chasing us for at least a little while. You and the others free the prisoners, get them a transport and signal the _Twilight_ for a pickup."

June nodded. Not so much in agreement, more to show she was listening.

"Not to mention our Jedi friend is still out there," she managed to inject a little sarcasm into her words. "We'll have to contact him to figure out a pickup spot. We'll break comms silence, but only at the last minute, in case the Empis are listening."

Rex nodded and followed June as she clapped her hands to get the attention of her platoon.

"Alright listen up," she was about to continue but caught herself when she looked at Poin. She gestured over to Kochew who walked over to him and placed her large paws over his ears.

June cracked a sly grin, happy to further damage the man's ego, before continuing:

"As I was saying, we're carrying on with the mission. Despite having had two teams with very different objectives, we somehow all ended up in the same spot. This time, there won't be any such mistakes. We now hold all the cards."

Saying this, June pressed a button on the holotable next to her, projecting a map of the Citadel, outlaying every single detail of its layout.

"Right now we're here, in the command center," June gestured to the top of the spire which blinked red. "Our objectives from here are to liberate the asset, free the other prisoners, make sure they have a ship to escape on and exfiltrate the entire team once the first two objectives are completed."

Seeing that she had no questions or comments, June continued:

"The landing pads are here," she pointed to a large platform suspended over a gigantic lava lake at the foot of the Citadel. "This feels like the safest bet for finding a ship for the prisoners and for the _Twilight_ to land for our exfil. We'll be killing two birds with one stone. Rex will go rescue the asset, while we free the prisoners, and we'll all rendezvous with Juno at the landing pads."

"_What about the Jedi?_" Kochew growled.

"We'll have to pick him up after. He won't respond to a transmission now; he's got his hands full. We'll contact him as soon as we're aboard the _Twilight_."

"What about him?" Rynthan asked, gesturing towards Poin.

"We have to take him with us. He's still a valuable hostage."

The other commandos made slight sounds of disgust at the idea but ultimately they knew they didn't have much choice.

"This is the final battle," June spoke slowly, locking eyes with each one of her comrades. "No one else dies today."

As everyone nodded in agreement, June spoke the words that had become a mantra of the Rebel Alliance and all those who longed for freedom:

"May the Force be with you."

* * *

Obi-Wan could not believe his eyes. It wasn't that what he was seeing was impossible, he'd seen it before. There was just no way it was happening here and at this moment, but somehow, it was.

Qui-Gon Jinn's Force ghost was standing in front of him, dressed in his familiar Jedi robes and sporting that good-natured, knowing smile, that many people said Obi-Wan inherited from him.

The Inquisitors seemed to be frozen in time. Both them and their spinning lightsabers had stopped moving, but Obi-Wan could also feel he was in the same situation.

_Wait… no, it's something else…_

While Obi-Wan's body truly was stuck in place, lightsaber in hand, just like the Inquisitors, he was now a Force ghost. Looking down at his hands and body, he saw they were a pale blue color and he could see the ground through his feet. Obi-Wan also realized he had both his arms. He held up and stared at his left hand with curiosity but also with anxiety about what this all meant for him.

"Strange, isn't it?" Qui-Gon asked with a smirk.

"It's been years, Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan spoke slowly, trying to get all his questions in order. "How are you here? Why now?"

"The strong Force connection you achieved here pushed away the darkness long enough for me to appear here. Unfortunately, I won't be able to keep this up for long."

"I am surrendering myself to the Force, Qui-Gon. I'm giving it everything yet I'm unable to draw upon its power."

"You know for a fact you gave yourself in completely to the living Force?" Qui-Gon asked with a knowing smile. Obi-Wan immediately knew he was being rhetorical.

"I've freed my mind and body; let them become one with the Force. As though I were dying and returning to the Living Force, except for the fact I am still very much alive."

"Yes," Qui-Gon confirmed curtly. He took several steps around the barren wasteland of Lola Sayu. "This technique relies on complete and utter surrender to the will of the Force. It is one few Jedi have been able to master to its full potential because they are always holding back the most important part."

Obi-Wan stayed silent. As with Master Yoda, he had no wish to ask the obvious question, and he knew Qui-Gon would answer it anyway.

"You surrender your body. You surrender your mind. What could possibly be left?"

Obi-Wan paused, thinking hard about what Qui-Gon could be referring to. What was there other than mind and body?

Suddenly, the answer popped into Obi-Wan's mind and he'd spoken it before even fully understanding what it meant:

"The heart."

"Exactly," Qui-Gon nodded with a smile. "Jedi are always taught to have perfect mastery of their emotions; even to repress some them. This makes it impossible for them to fully surrender to the living Force. Remember the journey I took you on all those years ago?"

How could he not? Those couple days had opened his eyes to the true power and beauty of the Force, independent from the Jedi or the Sith. Meeting the Force Priestesses, facing a dark reflection of himself and being confronted with the ultimate temptation of the Dark Side, had all been trials he had faced and emerged from victorious.

"You, myself and Yoda are the only Jedi in history to have ever learned to maintain their individuality after death," Qui-Gon continued. "For thousands of years, the Jedi Order was convinced that such a thing was impossible. Just imagine everything else they could have been wrong about."

Obi-Wan wanted to chalk this all up to Qui-Gon being Qui-Gon, disagreeing with the Jedi Order and the Council at every turn, but he could not dismiss his logic. If the Jedi had known that maintaining one's individuality after death was possible, the Sith would never have risen again. No matter how many Jedi Sidious would have killed in Order 66, they would only become more powerful through the Living Force.

Obi-Wan imagined Mace Windu, Ki-Adi-Mundi or Plo Koon as Force ghosts; how powerful they would have been. What about others like… Siri Tachi or… could Anakin have… _No!_

Obi-Wan banished these fantasies from his mind. Retracing that dark path would not help him now. Qui-Gon was right. He had to accept that the Jedi Order was not all-knowing and it was possible certain key details about the Force had escaped them.

"Surrender your heart, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon's voice grew fainter as his Force ghost began to disappear. "The current state of the galaxy is because we never understood the power of the heart."

Obi-Wan watched as his former master slowly disappeared, and as he did, time resumed. The Inquisitors continued to charge at Obi-Wan, their eyes flaring a sickly yellow as they went in for the kill.

Obi-Wan matched their crazed eyes with his clear grey-blue ones and finally surrendered his heart to the Force.

* * *

**All right I'm done!**

**The penultimate chapter of the Citadel Arc is over. Please tell me what you think in the comments, and favorite and follow if you enjoyed!**

**Thank you so much for your continuing support and may the Force be with you!**


	15. Bonds of the Force

**-OH MY LORD, THE CITADEAL ARC IS FINALLY OVER?**

**-YES. IT'S FINALLY OVER.**

**This is the final chapter that concludes the (longer than expected) Citadel Arc. Don't worry I also included stuff that will tie it all back to the main plot so we can start returning to some familiar continuity and characters soon.**

**I just saw SW 9 The Rise of Skywalker this Wednesday (it comes out earlier in France) and … I'll leave my comments for the end and will make sure to stay away from spoilers.**

**For now, let me answer some sweet, sweet comments:**

**-RKF22: Here is all that you ask (and hopefully even more ;) May the Force be with you and Merry Christmas!**

**-Hello: you raise a lot of good points. Concerning the power of the Inquisitors, I boosted them intentionally to make them a more credible threat, although they won't be the main adversary for long ;)**

**And I hope to be able to include as much of the SW lore as possible into this story, it would really help to flesh it out and ground it into the universe.**

**To answer your question, I don't know if Obi-Wan changed lightsabers on Tattooine… I'll look into it and might include it in this idea I have for an upcoming chapter.**

**Merry Christmas to you as well!**

**Those are all the comments for this time! See you in the new year and please enjoy chapter 15 of Never Too Old When You Have the High Ground!**

* * *

He followed the sound of lightsabers clashing, his mouth unconsciously twisting into a triumphant smile. As the cacophony of blade hitting blade got louder, his inner glee only grew more intense.

He entered the newly constructed sparring arena. It was built for soldiers to train and practice their combat skills, but if ever a Force wielder was present, they were immediately given priority use of this large open space.

Sidious cast an admiring and self-satisfied look around him. He imagined what the Death Star II would look like once it was fully finished. For now, it was a just an amassing of disparate rooms built around the main reactor. It did not even possess a superlaser yet, since the Empire had yet to find a large enough Kyber crystal that could focus such a large amount of energy.

But Sidious wasn't worried about that. He had his best man, or should he say, his best woman, looking for a suitable replacement for the one that had been destroyed onboard the first Death Star. Remembering that event from not so long ago sent shivers of rage down Sidious' spine, which he reveled in, instead of releasing it into the Force.

He walked up to the edge of the arena to watch Darth Vader and the Grand Inquisitor dueling. Officially, this wasn't a fight to the death, but when two Dark Side users duel, even for practice, it ALWAYS is a fight to the death. If either man currently fighting before Sidious had killed the other, he would not have held it against them. It simply would have meant that one was strong, the other weak; and Sidious had no use for the weak.

It was part of the reason he had so much contempt for the Jedi. They believed that honor and mercy had their place in a duel; a deluded fantasy preached by peace-loving fools. As soon as you cross blades with someone, enemy or friend, you are fighting to the death; simple as that. You deliver each strike with all your hate, assault the enemy mercilessly, use your anger to grow your power, and in the end; you live, or you die. The beauty of such simplicity was not lost on Sidious.

Focusing back on the fight, it was easy to see who would end up dead. Vader was completely dominating the Grand Inquisitor. Each one of his strikes seemed to shake the Inquisitor's entire body; he struggled to even keep his spinning saber raised in front of him.

Vader delivered a two-handed swing that was so strong it destroyed the mechanism that made the Grand Inquisitor's blades spin. He was now stuck with a stuttering double-edged lightsaber which he did not have a chance to use as Vader brought his blade up to his neck.

Sidious watched as the Grand Inquisitor disengaged his weapon and straightened up to stare unflinchingly at Vader. One did not beg to a Sith, he knew this; and Sidious was pleased to see it. He looked over to Vader who held his blade less than an inch away from the Grand Inquisitor's neck, before extinguishing it and turning away to leave the arena.

_Oh but it isn't over Lord Vader_, Sidious thought darkly.

With enhanced speed, the Grand Inquisitor lunged at Vader, igniting his broken saber. The latter turned around at the last minute, catching the Grand Inquisitor in a Force choke, leaving him helplessly dangling in the air as he slowly asphyxiated.

Sidious decided it could stop now. He had enough to worry about and he did not want to add 'naming a new Grand Inquisitor' to his list.

"That's enough, Lord Vader," Sidious spoke from his towering position over the arena. "Release him."

Vader held Sidious' gaze for several seconds before lifting his hold on the Grand Inquisitor's neck. He fell to the floor, retching and gasping for breath as Sidious descended into the arena to meet them.

"Leave us," he dismissively waved off the Grand Inquisitor, who struggled to remain stable as he kneeled before his Emperor. "Meditate on your defeat."

The Grand Inquisitor said nothing, but Sidious could read his emotions like an open book. He hated him for this humiliation; he hated Vader for defeating him… Sidious grinned maliciously at all these strong feelings brewing inside him. They were what would make him become even more powerful.

"Yes, my Emperor." the Grand Inquisitor acknowledged curtly. He stood, turned around and left the sparring arena without looking at Vader or Sidious.

"You hesitated, Lord Vader," the Emperor remarked, taking slow deliberate steps across the arena. Vader followed him diligently, shortening his stride so as to not overtake his master. "His life was in your hands."

"I take no pride in claiming a weakling's life," Vader replied evenly, barely winded from the duel. "Killing him would not change anything."

"But now, he will seek revenge," Sidious goaded. "He will train and grow his power to challenge you again. And when that happens, he will not show you mercy."

"If he trained for a hundred years, he would not come any closer to defeating me," Vader replied. "I have done him a service by ensuring he does not die so easily when he faces a Jedi."

Sidious let out a low cackle that revealed his crooked and rotten teeth.

"Your power has been steadily growing since your encounter with Kenobi," Sidous was happy to see his apprentice flinch when he mentioned his name. "As your master, it pains me that I am unable to produce an opponent that can match your skills."

Sidious suddenly stopped walking, bringing Vader to an abrupt halt. He watched silently as his master gestured to one of the maintenance droids who came up to them.

Sidious removed his dark cloak that hid his face and body, revealing his creased, pale face that framed two hypnotic yellow eyes. Vader knew of a Sith legend that said you could see all the evil in the galaxy in a true Sith's eyes. It was part of why Vader was thankful Sidious always hid them under his hood.

He handed his cloak over to the maintenance droid who retreated back to the edge of the arena. His master was now dressed in an ordinary brown tunic, not unlike what he would have worn as Chancellor of the Old Republic. It was hard to associate his current appearance to the all-powerful Dark Lord of the Sith.

Vader was torn away from his thoughts when Sidious unobtrusively slid a lightsaber out of his sleeve and into his hand.

"Show me how powerful you have become, Lord Vader," Sidious' words gained an aggressive edge as he readied himself for battle. "Show me you are still worthy of being my apprentice."

As he spat out his final word, he ignited his red lightsaber and released a flurry of Force lightning from his other hand.

Vader barely had time to ignite his own lightsaber and catch Sidious' lightning on the blade.

"Strike with all your hatred!" Palpatine growled before stabbing his sword towards his apprentice.

Vader deflected the attack, following up with two-handed swing aimed at Sidious' head, which he deftly avoided. Vader's blade cleaved through the air and into the ground, leaving a long scorch mark on the floor.

Sidious followed up with a series of jabs and slashes at his apprentice, which he blocked well. Vader attacked with powerful blows and brunt attacks which Palpatine made sure to dodge rather than block.

Eventually, Sidious saw an opening on Vader's left flank exposed and delivered a powerful Force push that sent his apprentice flying through the air and into the arena wall.

Vader blinked the pain and confusion out of his eyes, trying to refocus on his opponent just in time to block a swing that would have split his head in half. Sidious aggressively pushed against Vader's blade. The latter was down on one knee; his master putting all his body weight into pushing their locked sabers closer to his helmet.

However, in terms of pure physical strength, Vader had his master outmatched. He pushed himself to his feet, completely shifting the balance of power. He now towered over Sidious and was putting all his strength into breaking his defense.

A confident smile graced Vader's lips under his mask, but it quickly disappeared when he saw the sadistic grin on his master's face.

A second later, he felt a searing, stabbing pain in his abdomen. He looked down and saw a second red lightsaber in his master's other hand, ignited into his stomach. Vader imagined his guts were completely carbonized, not that he had much use for them anyway.

Vader did not have time to further comprehend his wound before a familiar pain coursed through every fiber of his body. From the ends of his teeth, to the receptors in his mechanized toes, Sidious' Force lightning threw all his senses into disarray. He couldn't move, and he was not going to scream. All he could do was bear the pain.

When it finally stopped, Vader stumbled but managed to remain on his feet. Gathering up his strength, he managed to lift his head up to look at his master. His two lightsabers were gone, no doubt returned to their respective sleeves. His hands were now hanging loosely in front of him, like scraggly branches on a withered tree.

"Now…" Sidious' empty voice echoed in Vader's ears. "Would killing YOU change anything?"

His hands stiffened into claws as he unleashed a storm of Force lightning onto his apprentice. Sidious was impressed and amused that Vader was still able to stand, even as his skeleton became visible through his armor.

Sidious waited ten full seconds before releasing the tension in his hands and stopping his apprentice's torment. Vader sunk down to one knee; head down, barely moving. His entire body was smoking; a smell of charred plastic and flesh wafted through the air. His damaged respirator turned his breath into desperate wheezes.

"Do not think yourself above failure, Lord Vader," Sidious whispered ominously as the maintenance droid handed him back his cloak. "You have still to reach your full potential in the Dark Side of the Force. It is this same arrogance and weakness that left you unable to save Padmé."

Vader did not move as Sidious left the arena. Only once he sensed his master was gone, did he let himself fall to the ground; a smoking, broken mess. He felt a painful clench in his heart, and a burning sensation at his tear ducts; but he knew they'd both stopped working long ago.

* * *

Rex proceeded cautiously down the empty corridors. Just because there was no one around, didn't meet that danger was absent.

Years of combat experience made him hyper-aware of any abnormalities around him, and for now, he felt nothing. He was being extra cautious, since a couple minutes ago he'd felt a sudden pain in his chest that lasted less than a second before disappearing.

The pain was familiar to Rex. He'd had a similar feeling when Fives and Echo died, the latter on this very planet. Rex had gone to see some healers at the time who'd explained it was possible to share the pain of someone with whom you shared a strong bond. He had dismissed it at the time as nothing more than a coincidence, but feeling that same sort of pain all these years later made him slightly nervous. Could someone close to him be badly injured? Or dead? Could it be General Kenobi? Or Ahsoka? Maybe even Luke?

Rex shook his head in frustration and tapped his blaster against his helmet, as if to physically shake out these errant thoughts. Old age really was making him paranoid.

Focusing back on the mission, Rex glanced up at the numbers on the cells he was passing. He was on cell 4220, so the next one would be…

Rex stopped nervously in front of cell 4222. It looked exactly like every other one he'd passed before it. There were no guards in sight, no added security measures that he could see. Keeping his hand steady, Rex keyed opened the door and ran inside, twin blasters raised.

It was empty.

_Dammit_, Rex cursed himself. _That kid really was playing me for a fool._

There were clear signs that someone had been here, so why was…

By the time Rex realized what was going on, it was too late.

A body crashed into Rex from above, sending him to the ground, knocking his blasters out of his hand. Before he could react, two strong arms wrapped around his neck and a pair of legs wrapped around his torso. He was familiar with that hold; he'd done it hundreds, if not thousands of times during his initial training on Kamino.

"Thought you could get me that easily, huh?" a crazed but familiar voice whispered. "Think again, pal."

"Sorry about this, commander." Rex managed to say before swinging his head backward with all his strength into Cody's forehead.

The distraction made him loosen his hold on Rex just enough for the latter to escape his chokehold and jump to his feet. He threw off his helmet as Cody got to his feet, fists raised, ready for a fight.

"Cody, stop! It's me! It's Rex!"

He was relieved to see Cody's eyes widen in surprise. Rex was finally able to take a good look at his long lost friend. Like him, he'd let his beard grow out, though his was more of a stubble. Cody's once short dark hair had turned grey like his, but his brown eyes still held that intensity he remembered so well, if not slightly frenzied. And of course, he still carried that unmistakable scar around his left eye.

Cody paced around Rex slowly; his eyes were like a wounded animal's.

"Rex?" his tone was part disbelief, part sarcasm. "You think I'm an idiot? How dare you use my friend against me!"

Cody lunged at Rex with a raised fist which he managed to dodge by a hair. He used Cody's momentum to throw him across the room into a wall. It pained Rex to have to hurt him like this, but Cody's paranoia was making him dangerously unstable. He needed to pacify him as quickly as possible.

"Cody, stop this!" Rex tried again, desperately searching for his old friend in those haggard eyes. "Think; would an Imperial know about our mission to the Rishi moon during the Clone Wars? I shot a commando droid right between the eyes when he was dressed as a Clone Trooper! I left my handprint in eel juice on Echo's chest! How do I know that?!"

Cody stumbled back to his feet, baring his teeth, his eyes bulging out even more. He saw one of Rex's blasters on the floor, picked it up, and pointed it straight at him.

"Rex was my friend," his voice quivered as he choked back a sob. "Why do you torture me like this? He's gone! I killed everyone I ever cared about!"

"That's not true!" Rex held his hands up to show he meant him no harm, but Cody continued to point the blaster at his heart. "I'm alive! Ahsoka's alive; you remember her! General Kenobi is alive! He's here with us!"

"Don't you dare say that name!" Cody's scream was raw with sheer desperation and pain. "He was the greatest man I ever knew. Lowly scum like you don't even deserve to say his name. I betrayed him, and now he's gone; like all the Jedi."

Rex could feel that Cody was reaching the end of his rope. One wrong move and he'd risk firing at him or turning the gun on himself. He had kept this option as a last result, but now every other possibility was exhausted.

"You're wrong, my friend," Rex spoke slowly reaching into a compartment on his belt and producing a holoprojector. "He's still fighting for us; just like we did for him."

He activated the device and threw it at Cody's feet. He glanced down and dropped the blaster when a small hologram of Obi-Wan appeared. He picked the device up reverently and held it up so that his eyes were level with those of his former general.

Even though it was a recording, when Obi-Wan smiled, Cody couldn't keep tears from streaming down his face. He was older than during the Clone Wars, inevitably; but Cody still recognized those intelligent, compassionate eyes and that confident demeanor that he hadn't once seen falter.

"_I am happy to know you are safe, old friend_. _I can only imagine that if Rex made us of this recording, it must be because you feel this is somehow all a trick. You believe that everything you cherished has been destroyed, and you live your life punishing yourself in the hopes of finding redemption. I want you to come back to us, Cody. We need you, and we have no interest in laying blame. We all know the man responsible, and he is the one who will pay, not you. Please forgive yourself, as I have forgiven you, and come back to us… May the Force be with you."_

The holoprojector went dark as the message ended, but Cody continued to hold onto it. Rex waited several seconds before his friend finally lifted his head, his eyes, and cheeks red from tears.

"Rex?"

"Yeah. It's me."

Rex reached out his hand to help Cody to his feet before wrapping him in a tight embrace.

"It's good to have you back. Commander."

"Oh come on, Rex. Don't start with the honorifics."

Both men shared a laugh. Cody returned Rex's blaster to him, but he waved it off, picking up his second blaster off the floor.

"You're going to need it," he said grimly as he checked his ammo. "We still have to get off this rock."

"Let's make a stop by the armory first," seeing Cody's confident grin made Rex feel like they were both young men on the front lines of the Clone Wars. "I want my stuff back."

* * *

_Surrender your heart…_

_I loved Satine… I told her during the Clone Wars: if she'd asked, I would have left the Jedi Order. Many would have thought me weak or lacking the will of a true Jedi. For a long time, I felt the same way._

"_Remember, my dear Obi-Wan. I loved you always. I always will…"_

_Those words stayed scarred in my mind. Her death broke something inside me. I papered over it and soldiered on; focusing on my duties as a Jedi and a general, but they continued to haunt me. Those final words, and all that could have been._

_My love for Siri was not as strong as for Satine, but her death chipped away a piece of my soul all the same. Her death; and everyone else in the Jedi Order. Mace Windu, Ki-Adi Mundi, Kit Fisto, Plo Koon… all fellow masters; all friends. Returned to the Living Force, with no hope of return._

_Losing Ahsoka… Echo, Fives… I can't stop seeing Sidious's sadistic grin in my dreams, leering over all of them. They had all just been pawns in his intergalactic chess game._

_Padmé… You represented everything the Republic should have been. A politician who stands for what is right and fair; who knows when to take action and never loses hope._

"_Obi-Wan… There's good in him… I know… I know there's… still…"_

_Oh, Padmé… There are days when I think of you; nights when I dream of you. Your unwavering optimism and unflinching resolve… I can't help thinking your death was in part my fault. Had I not snuck on your ship and inflamed Anakin's rage, or if I'd simply been a better master to your husband. I felt a connection with you like no other. I swear Luke and Leia will see their father again. On my life; I swear it._

…

_Anakin…_

"_Master. I've disappointed you. I haven't been very appreciative of your training. I've been arrogant, and I apologize. I've just been so… frustrated with the Council."_

_Anakin, if anyone should have apologized, it was me. I was so focused on the end result of your training, making you became the Chosen One, I failed to even consider how it affected you. I did not listen about your mother. I did not listen about Ahsoka, or Padmé. I did not protect you from Sidious, and I pushed you further into his grasp than anyone else._

_On that day I promised that you'd become a Jedi Master, and I still plan to honor that promise. I have lost the right to save you, but there is another who will succeed where I have failed._

…

_I recognize you all. Those I have loved, those I have lost… you are all in my heart, which I now surrender to the Force…_

…

…

"Die, Jedi scum!"

"Your pitiful existence ends here."

The voices sounded like they were miles away. All Obi-Wan could feel was an all-encompassing clarity and serenity. He felt as though he'd shed years of armor and was taking his first full breath of fresh air.

He was still Obi-Wan. He knew that. But he was also Satine Kryze, Mace Windu, Padmé Amidala, Anakin Skywalker… He was them, and they were him. In that moment: he was the Force.

The shining dots appeared again on the Inquisitors; all connected by this cosmic thread that guided his saber. As his cobalt blade followed its pre-ordained path, Obi-Wan could feel hundreds; thousands of hands holding the hilt with him. He was them, and they were him.

…

And in an instant: he was Obi-Wan, and they were the Living Force. He crumbled to the ground as all energy left his body. The sharp pain in his side returned, though considering his entire body was numb, it did not distract him much. Obi-Wan couldn't move a single limb. His entire body felt like it was weighed down by a Star Destroyer. All he could manage was to turn his head to the side and lay eyes on the crippled bodies of the two Inquisitors.

* * *

"I really hope Rex freed his buddy by now!" Muna yelled at June as she fired more shots at the oncoming Imperials.

"Looks like we're drawing all the Empis away from him," June shouted back with a smirk. She leaned around the corner, lined up her sights and shot a Stormtrooper square in the chest.

They had managed to free all the prisoners of the Citadel, which only amounted to several dozen people, all of whom were vital members of the Rebel Alliance and its allies, as well as some who claimed to be Jedi Knights or padawans.

"The landing pads are just up ahead," June bellowed to everyone behind her. "Kochew! Clear the way!"

The Wookie let out an appreciative and satisfied growl before unleashing the full might of her heavy blaster rifle. The shots shredded the Stormtroopers in front of her as she charged down the hall, with June and Muna behind her laying down suppressing fire. Inuzo, Rynthan and Nerrown brought up the rear with the escaped prisoners and commander Poin, hands cuffed behind his back. He kept an unreadable expression as Inuzo jostled him forward.

After breaking through the last line of Stormtroopers, the Rebels finally reached their objective: the landing pads. It was a large platform, delineated into smaller ones for different sized starships. The entire affair was precariously suspended above a lake of lava.

There were a couple TIE-fighters, some maintenance crafts, but the one that caught everyone's attention was the Delta-class T-3c shuttle with the Inquisitorius' crest stamped on the side.

"Nerrown, Rynthan, Inuzo, get the prisoners on that shuttle now! Muna, Kochew, form a line!" June yelled so she could be heard over the high winds and erupting magma.

As everyone followed her orders, June yanked Poin by his collar as he was heading towards the shuttle.

"No, you're staying right here." she whispered in his ear with murderous intensity.

Poin tried to reply, but with his gag it came out as an unimpressive slur. June pinned him against the crates she was using for cover to keep him from moving.

"Where the hell is Rex?!" she screamed at no one in particular.

"Speak of the devil." Muna said with a grin, pointing towards one of the entrances to the landing pad.

Two Clones, one in blue marked armor, the other in orange, were making their way towards them, firing coordinated shots at Stormtroopers that were pursuing them. The way they moved, dodged and fired with such coordination was mesmerizing to watch.

Cody and Rex vaulted over June's cover to kneel down beside her.

"Sorry for taking so long, lieutenant." Rex said, firing at the oncoming Stormtroopers.

"So this is who we came all this way to save?" June said with a smirk and an inquisitive eyebrow raise.

"Lieutenant," Cody began, his tone heavy with remorse. "I can't even begin to— "

"Save it," June interrupted. "I'm glad to see you're safe, Cody."

The Clone paused, and June could swear she saw him smile under his helmet.

"Thank you, lieutenant."

June nodded to him and removed a communicator from her belt. She switched it back on and spoke distinctly into it:

"_Rogue Shadow_ come in… Juno, you read me?"

After several seconds of nerve-wracking static, the response came through loud and clear:

"I hear you, lieutenant. I have a lock on your position. Standby for pickup."

June heard the familiar roar of the _Rogue Shadow_ as it flew over the landing pads and slowly made its descent, boarding ramp extended. Meanwhile, the stolen Imperial shuttle was already flying away.

Suddenly, blaster bolts hit the undercarriage of the _Rogue Shadow_. Looking back towards the Citadel, June saw the three surviving Death Troopers leading several squads of Stormtroopers towards them.

"Time to get out of here! Go, go, go!"

They did not need to be told twice. Kochew and Muna made a run for the _Rogue Shadow_. Rex and Cody covered June as she unceremoniously dragged Poin across the landing pad, up to the boarding ramp and threw him onto the ship. Rex and Cody jumped onboard, immediately running up to the cockpit to help Juno.

Juno stepped onto the _Rogue Shadow _and immediately felt it take off as Juno moved it away from the landing pad. A wave of relief and joy washed over her. They'd done it.

The blaster round that hit her in the spine was like a lightning bolt. Her legs gave out from under her; she felt herself tipping backward; falling over the edge of the open boarding ramp, towards the lava lake below…

A slow smile graced her features…

…

She felt a large paw grip the front of her uniform; she heard a growl and a roar, and next thing she knew; she was thrown inside the _Rogue Shadow _beside Poin who was writhing on the floor like a beached Relix.

"_You said it yourself," _Kochew let out a soft growl, smiling down at June. "_No one else dies today_."

June blinked several times, struggling to understand how she was still alive. Then tears began streaming down her face as she realized everything that was happening; she couldn't feel her legs, but the mission was a success.

Her emotions were thrown astray when her eyes fell on Poin. All empathy left her eyes as she yanked the gag out of his mouth.

"Kochew. Help me up."

The Wookie complied with a low groan, picking the lieutenant up into her arms. June dragged Poin by his throat up to the edge of the open boarding ramp. His cynical, bemused smile was still an eyesore.

"Oh come now, lieutenant; this isn't you," his snake-like tone matched his predatory eyes. "You aren't a cold-blooded killer. You're a soldier, with a conscience. Murdering a defenseless enemy is not in your character. I know— "

Poin's speech was cut short by the hairpin that June stabbed into his carotid artery. As blood began spurting out of his neck, June pulled him closer to her; staining her face with his blood:

"You sealed your fate, when you hurt my family."

She loosened her grip on his collar and watched as Poin's gesticulating, bleeding body fell into the lava lake. The molten magma eagerly swallowed up the commander of the Citadel; a title that would bear no successors, since a couple seconds later the entire tower was engulfed in an enormous explosion.

* * *

Obi-Wan heard a loud detonation in the distance, but he couldn't move his body to determine where it originated from.

He saw the two Inquisitors turn on their side to face him. They were losing blood rapidly from their severed limbs. The hatred in their eyes was replaced by pain and resignation.

"You are a coward, Jedi," the Fifth Brother muttered, trying to focus his gaze on Obi-Wan. "You are still unable to kill us…"

"My actions were the will of the Force," Obi-Wan replied, looking up at the red and orange ashen sky of Lola Sayu. "If the Force chose to let you live, then there is a reason for it."

The Seventh Sister let out a derisive laugh, swiftly followed by a violent coughing fit. She spat blood out of her mouth, trying to control her breathing:

"We will bleed out long before any help arrives. And even if we survive, the fate the Emperor reserves for us is far worse than death. Is that what the Force wills?"

Summoning all his remaining strength, Obi-Wan propped himself up to look at the two Inquisitors.

"Do you want to find out?"

The Inquisitors were completely incredulous. Obi-Wan extended his good arm towards them, a kind smile gracing his features. After a few seconds, the Seventh Sister placed her undamaged hand over his and the Fifth Brother placed the stump of his arm over them.

"Now; feel the Force."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, brought them into his meditation, and showed them all that they had failed to see.

Obi-Wan could feel the Inquisitor's emotions unraveling and burgeoning like a flower. Their pain and resignation became relief and happiness.

"It's beautiful…"

"The most beautiful thing I've ever seen..."

With those final words, Obi-Wan slowly let them return to the Living Force until he was left alone, immobile on the plains of Lola Sayu. Well, maybe not alone.

As he looked up at the sky, a familiar face, made out of lava and rock, leaned over to look down at him.

"I'm sorry for going against your will. I only wanted to make sure you were safe."

"_No,_" the beast shook its head with a smirk. "_Jedi did right. Thank you for freeing my planet and my people_."

Before Obi-Wan could ask more, he saw a familiar ship fly over him and land somewhere off to his left. A couple of seconds later, he felt two strong pairs of hands lift him up, and a familiar face looked down at him with a wide smile and a tear in his eye.

"Glad to see you alive, general."

"Come now, Cody. It takes more than that to kill me."

Rex and Cody carried Obi-Wan back to the _Rogue Shadow_ which quickly took off as the ground beneath it liquefied back into lava. As they climbed higher into the planet's atmosphere, an incredible spectacle unfolded before their eyes.

Several lava beasts emerged from all over the planet, tearing down the remaining parts of the Citadel to sink it beneath the magma. And where it used to stand, five statues formed out of the molten lava, and as they solidified, the Rebels made out Yva, Ova, Plorg, Katerina, and Markin, standing tall and proud, watching over Lola Sayu; the planet they helped liberate.

_The Empire will never forget this._

* * *

"My Lord, my mission was successful." the cloaked figure spoke, kneeling down; eyes lowered.

The Emperor did not bother turning his chair to face her. While the news she brought was pleasing, what he had heard before she arrived irritated him greatly.

"My plan to kill Kenobi has failed," Sidious muttered in a low pitch that betrayed profound rage. "He has freed his Clone compatriot, as well as other Rebel and Jedi prisoners, and destroyed the Citadel on Lola Sayu."

The cloaked figure said nothing. She had served her master long enough to know that sharing your opinion before the Emperor was akin to a death wish. If he did not ask you anything directly, it meant you stayed silent.

"I sensed something… strange on that planet," Sidious muttered. "A power; a connection that I've never felt before. I fear Kenobi may be growing more powerful than I anticipated."

The cloaked individual frowned at hearing her master talk about fear. For HIM to be afraid of something, must mean that this so-called Kenobi was a real threat.

"I have decided to restructure the Inquisitorius," Sidious continued. "From now on, they will all travel together when hunting Jedi, to ensure strength in numbers. Their individual power is no longer sufficient to defeat these last surviving Jedi."

Sidious lifted himself out of his throne and slowly walked up to the large window that gave an unobstructed view of the majesty of space.

"I am tasking you with a new mission. The most important one yet," Sidious turned to the cloaked figure, looking down upon her kneeling figure. "Kenobi is training Anakin Skywalker's offspring. Eliminate them both."

"Yes, my lord." she acknowledged before rising to her feet and turning away to leave.

The Emperor's voice stopped her just as she was passing the door:

"You will be working alongside Lord Vader. I am naming you his direct superior. He will report and take his orders from you. Make good use of him, Mara Jade."

"Yes, my lord."

After she left, Sidious contemplated the galaxy outside, and couldn't help a low, raucous laugh to escape his lips, echoing across his empty throne room.

* * *

"Oh come on, Chewie!" Han lamented in frustration. "That one here, and this one there! How many times do I need to say it?"

"_You said the exact opposite two seconds ago,_" the Wookie growled back, equally frustrated. "_If you're so smart, why don't you do it._"

"Alright, you big stupid hairball," Han muttered, grabbing the wrench out of Chewie's paw. "Why don't you go make sure the weapon batteries are fully charged."

"_Fine._" Chewie let out a short groan before going inside the Millennium Faulcon.

Han shook his head in disbelief and turned his attention back to what Chewie was working on. _Great! Now I don't even remember what is what._

Han dropped the wrench in exasperation and turned away from the undercarriage of the Millennium Faulcon. He let his eyes wander around the large hangar, looking at the various groups of Rebel busying themselves with their duties.

What caught his attention was the group of kids holding wooden swords and waving them nonsensically at an old man who dodged them all easily. He was throwing good-natured insults and taunts at them as they desperately tried to hit him, but ended up smacking each other with the wooden blades.

Han was unable to keep a smirk off his face. He could not wait to see the look on the old man's face when he returned and all his students were covered in bumps and bruises.

_Bam!_

Han turned his head in surprise, trying to identify where the noise had come from. It sounded more like a variety of noises, like objects being kicked and thrown everywhere. He followed the sounds to a Corellian Corvette, the Tantive IV, stationed next to the Faulcon. What he saw genuinely shocked him.

Leia was kicking empty supply boxes in rage and throwing pieces of scrap metal around like a child throwing a temper-tantrum. Her eyes were filled with such anger and annoyance, it caught Han off-guard.

After several seconds, she ran out of energy laying waste to everything around her, and sat down on one of the boxes, holding her head in her hands and letting out a frustrated sigh.

Han was about to return to the Faulcon and act as if nothing had happened, but a niggling at the back of his mind stopped him. It just didn't feel right leaving her like this.

Cursing himself for his soft-heart, Han slowly approached her and cleared his throat as subtly as he could:

"I can only imagine you thought I was hiding in one of those boxes."

Leia's head immediately jumped out of her hands. She looked at Han with a mixture of embarrassment and shame, before quickly turning her face away; but he didn't miss the puffiness and redness in her eyes.

"What's got you so bent out of shape, princess?" he asked as he started picking up all the objects which had fallen victim to her carnage.

"I really don't need your sarcasm or condescension right now, Han," she snapped back.

Leia quickly helped him clean up her mess, as Han observed her quizzically.

"Did you just call me by my name?"

"What?" Leia looked up from what she was doing, confusion and irritation marring her features.

"Not flyboy, or laser brain, or captain Solo'?" a small smile was forming on Han's face. "You called me by my name. You're definitely not yourself."

Leia put down what she was carrying to let out a long, drawn-out sigh. She looked at Han with a serious expression.

"Maybe I'm just being forced to grow up faster than I'd want to," Leia said slowly. "At nineteen I'm already supposed to be the adult in the room, help lead a galaxy-wide rebellion and stay smiling, hopeful and calm at all times."

"Yeah, can't say my nineteenth birthday was as eventful," Han said with a smirk, which Leia did not respond to. "You were dealt quite the cards, princess."

"I just…" Leia's voice quivered slightly but she brought it back under control. "I'm just so scared I'm doing something terribly wrong. My father and mother are gone; general Kenobi has left on a foolhardy mission from which he might never return… I just… want someone to show me the way."

Han felt like a fish out of water. He just wanted to leave and go tighten bolts on the Faulcon for hours or beat himself over the head with his wrench. Dealing with a crying, emotional Leia felt way beyond the call of duty.

_Oh come on, stop being a coward. Who are you trying to kid here?_

With cautious steps, Han walked up to Leia, gingerly placed his hand on her shoulder and patted it slowly.

"I don't know anything about being a leader, or a diplomat, or a politician," he spoke with measured caution. "But I want you to know I never would have hung around the Rebels any longer if you weren't there to lead them. From where I'm standing, you're doing just fine. I can't show you the way, but whichever way YOU choose, I'd be willing to follow it."

Leia stared for several seconds into Han's hazel-brown eyes. All her worries and frustrations were completely forgotten. It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on her head.

"Provided I was properly compensated." Han added with a sly smirk.

And that was the second bucket of ice water. Leia burst out laughing, doubling over and taking several steps away from Han to catch her breath. The smuggler watched her with a smile. Her laugh was beautiful and melodious; it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard. This woman was truly something else…

_What am I saying…_

His inner cursing was interrupted by a soft kiss he felt on his left cheek. As he jerked his whole body away, he saw Leia retreating away from him, a coy smile on her lips.

"Is that enough compensation?" she said with a mischievous smirk.

Leia slowly walked away towards the hangar exit, leaving Han completely dumbfounded and unable to move or comprehend what had just happened. He didn't understand her, but even worst, he felt like he didn't fully understand himself.

"_What are you doing!"_ Chewie's sudden roar made Han jump in surprise. "_I thought you said you were going to work on the undercarriage."_

Han glanced back towards Leia, but she had already left. He did his best to clear his mind and present his usual carefree look to Chewie.

"I was just seeing if they had the tool I needed," Han quickly covered up, glancing at the boxes around him. "Maybe I'll just wait for Luke to come back so he can take a look at it."

Han confidently walked past Chewie, making his way back to the Millennium Faulcon.

"_Why is there a kiss mark on your cheek?_" the Wookie asked with a grin.

Han fiercely wiped his left cheek, not bothering to reply to Chewie who was bent over laughing and growling, drawing the eyes of everyone in the hangar.

_I swear that woman will be the death of me…_

* * *

**AND THERE'S CHAPTER 15!**

**A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE READING THIS STORY. FROM THOSE WHO'VE BEEN HERE SINCE CHAPTER 1 TO THOSE WHO JUST RECENTLY STARTED READING, THANK YOU ALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!**

**I saw SW 9 last week, and honestly it was disappointing but it really felt like that was the only way it could go. Seeing how Last Jedi completely threw a wrench into the entire story and arcs of so many important characters, SW 9 was left with the unfortunate job of having to pick up the pieces and glue it all into something sufficiently coherent and satisfying. Honestly with what they were given, they did a fairly admirable job.**

**Enjoy your Christmas, new years and holidays, and see you next year! MERRY CHRISTMAS!**

**(can I get a favorite, follow or comment as a Christmas gift? ;)**


	16. New Beginnings

**HELLO THERE! WELCOME TO CHAPTER 16!**

**I hope everyone had a merry Christmas and I wish a happy 2020 to all! Hope this year is fruitful and fulfilloign for all of you.**

**Apologies for the delay with this chapter. I went through a serious faze of writer's block mixed in with seasonal depression most likely. I took a break from writing for a couple days and that really helped. I feel I've got some mojo back!**

**I see this chapter as a bit of break from the high stakes action of past chapters, and to mark a pause before we get to the events of EPISODE V.**

**With that said I will answer comments and leave you with this new chapter, introducing characters many of you have long asked for. I know that in terms of timelines it probably doesn't make sense, but this is a fanfic, I am bound by no rules! Muhahahaha!**

**Alright, comments time:**

**-** **TaitanoRules555: Sorry but I can only write how I feel it. I try to include as much detail as possible but the problem with a fight scene is that if you get bogged down with too many detail, the fight inevitably slows down as a result. You have to manage to convey the tension and frenzy of the scene without having a paragraph of description for each sword swing.**

**-** **RKF22: Thank you so much for your continued support! May the Force be with you.**

**Alright, enough said! Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"Hmmm… Cease to meet like this, we must," Yoda grumbled as he adjusted himself in his seat. "To be reckless; unlike you it is."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly as he took in the details of his surroundings. He was back in one of the many meditation rooms of the Jedi Temple. Outside, the Coruscanti daily life unfolded as usual; well, at least in his dream.

"My apologies, master," Obi-Wan bowed slightly, hoping Yoda would not take it as an invitation to hit him with his gimmer stick. "Though I did have… help."

Obi-Wan cast a knowing gaze and smile towards Qui-Gon Ginn who sat to his right. This time, he wasn't transparent and blue. His sweeping grey hair and beard, and blue eyes were exactly like Obi-Wan remembered.

Yoda groaned with displeasure at both of them, reflexively shaking his head. He looked at Qui-Gon out of the corner of his eye with a silent demand for an explanation.

"Oh don't look at me like that, old friend," Qui-Gon said with a smirk. "I was merely fulfilling my duty to my long lost padawan. Nowhere does the Jedi Code state that a master's training ends when he dies."

Yoda was obviously not amused by Qui-Gon's clever circumvention of the rules, but he gave a dismissive wave of his hand, implicitly putting the matter to rest.

"Hmmm… Aggressive, our enemy is becoming," Yoda spoke gravely. "Your presence in this conflict, tip the scales it has, Obi-Wan."

"Yes, your decisive actions on the Death Star, at the battle of Yavin and now on Lola Sayu, means the Emperor is becoming more and more determined to eliminate you," Qui-Gon stated. "We must continue to build up the strength of the Jedi to face whatever he may throw our way next."

"On that, agreed we are," Yoda nodded. He slowly wriggled off his couch and walked up to the window to gaze at the sun setting over the Coruscant skyline. Obi-Wan followed Yoda's gaze. It felt strange to admire something in a dream, but it comforted both of them since it reminded them of a different time. A less troubled time.

"I believe I should dedicate myself to training Luke alone; away from the Rebel Alliance," Obi-Wan spoke. "Rahm Kota can continue training the other Jedi and padawans while I'm gone, and when you are ready, master, we will join you so you may continue their training."

Master Yoda nodded at Obi-Wan's proposition, turning back to face him and Qui-Gon.

"Know where you will go, for young Skywalker's training?" he asked.

"I am thinking of starting on Tatooine," Obi-Wan spoke carefully. "A place he is familiar with. Then we will go somewhere else, where he will be entirely out of his element. It will prove good training for myself as well."

Yoda and Qui-Gon exchanged a nod. The latter stood up and Obi-Wan followed his lead. The three Jedi Masters shared a solemn moment of silence before they all returned to the chaos and noise of reality.

"Best of luck, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said with a smile, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder. Even though Obi-Wan looked and was much older than his former master, the small gesture had the same soothing effect as when he was a padawan. "The road ahead of you will not be easy, but I know you will succeed."

"Thank you, Qui-Gon." Obi-Wan gave an appreciative bow.

"Agree, I do," Yoda spoke with a keen smile. "Felt the will of the Force, you have. Follow it, and know the way, you will."

"I look forward to seeing you in person, Master," Obi-Wan nodded with a small smile.

"As do I," Yoda acknowledged as the world around them began to dissolve. "Always interrupting my meal with these conversations, are you."

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon both shared a laugh, which Yoda also joined with a discreet chuckle. After a few seconds, they were both gone and Obi-Wan felt himself spinning aimlessly through empty space…

* * *

"He's waking up!"

Obi-Wan opened his eyes slowly, adjusting to the hard glare of bright white lights. As his vision focused, he recognized Luke, Leia, Rex and Cody, all standing around his bed.

Luke quickly walked up to Obi-Wan's side, his eyes brimming with relief and joy.

"It's good to have you back, Ben," he said with a small smirk. "You've been out for a while. We were worried."

"Three days to be exact, sir," Rex spoke up. "The doctors said you were in a coma."

_Three days? Force, this is getting out of hand,_ Obi-Wan thought.

"I'm sorry for worrying you all," Obi-Wan said. "And I especially apologize to you Leia, for going on this mission without warning."

"I understand why you did it," she spoke congenially. "And the High Command has decided to forget this incident. Considering it led to the liberation of valuable prisoners and the destruction of an entire Imperial prison, it's hard for anyone to stay mad over the fact you decided to ignore orders. However, I have to personally ask you to never do something like this again. We were lucky that it ended up being a victory but it could just as well have turned into a devastating defeat."

Obi-Wan was momentarily caught off guard by Leia's reprimand. It had struck him like hearing Padmé Amidala telling off an over-zealous senator. He could sense her Force presence was different from before he'd left. She was truly maturing into a central leading figure of the Rebel Alliance.

"You are right. I apologize for my impatience," Obi-Wan acknowledged. "But please tell me, the others who were with me? The commandos, how are they?"

A grave silence passed over the medical room. Luke, Leia, Rex, and Cody all exchanged sad and solemn looks. Finally, it was the latter who broke the news:

"Everyone who took part in the mission and everyone who was rescued is fine… except for lieutenant You. A blaster bolt severed her spinal cord and… she's been paralyzed from the waist down."

Obi-Wan let this information wash over him slowly. He brought his hand to the bridge of his nose and pinched it sharply for several seconds. When he released the pressure he also released his emotions into the Force, letting them fizzle away with the pain.

"I'm assuming she said none of us were to blame for it." he spoke evenly, eyes fixed on the white ceiling.

"Yes, sir," Rex confirmed. "She asked that we continue fighting and that if we wanted to apologize, taking down the Empire would be one hell of a consolation prize for her. Her exact words, sir."

Obi-Wan couldn't keep a smile from creeping up underneath his beard. He was happy to see her warrior spirit was still intact.

"We will make sure not to disappoint her," Obi-Wan said. He turned his gaze to Cody. "Our lives are indebted to her and her team. We must now honor their sacrifices."

"Yes, sir," Cody replied in a strong tone. He now looked much more like his old self, clean-shaven and sporting a closely trimmed military haircut.

Cody's voice softened as he spoke with a tone of gratitude that Obi-Wan had never heard in his life:

"And thank you, general. For coming back for me."

"Always, Cody," Obi-Wan smiled ruefully, holding out his hand which the Clone clasped strongly. "It's by staying in the fight that we will win the war."

"I missed your wise quotes, sir." Cody said with a laugh.

Obi-Wan shared his laughter before rising out of the bed. He immediately regretted his haste when his vision began to blur and his knees buckled underneath him. Thankfully, Cody and Rex quickly caught him before he fell.

"Easy there, general," Rex warned as he kept Obi-Wan stable. "You need time to recover your strength."

"Unfortunately, we don't have that luxury," Obi-Wan sighed. He could feel the blood slowly returning to his legs, letting him take a few tentative steps forward. "I must leave the Rebel Alliance as soon as possible."

"WHAT?!"

Obi-Wan expected such a reaction from Luke and Leia. He had not wanted to be so blunt, but his fight with the Inquisitors and his discussion with Yoda and Qui-Gon had made him realize how urgent it was that Luke begin his training in earnest.

"Allow me to explain," Obi-Wan turned back to the four people in the room. "The Jedi that are now part of the Rebel Alliance is much higher than any of us could have expected, which is good. However, most of them are either padawans, younglings, or Jedi Knights, who all have a lot of pain and trauma that they need to sort through. There is only myself, Rahm Kota and perhaps Galen Marek who can be masters to all these students. Rahm and I are no longer in our prime, to say things nicely, and I've become a target that the Emperor is fixated on eradicating. We NEED to pull the Jedi away from the front lines and focus on training the next generation. I wish to take a leave of absence from the Rebel Alliance to continue Luke's training, while Rahm and Galen train and help heal the others."

A heavy silence weighed on the room. Leia seemed deep in thought, while Luke seemed to be in agreement with Obi-Wan's position. Rex and Cody also seemed to understand the rationale behind this plan.

"How long do you expect to be gone?" Leia asked slowly.

"I don't know," Obi-Wan admitted. "We will know when we need to return. We aren't going to abandon you, Leia."

"I'm not worried about that, general Kenobi," Leia said with a smirk. "But please warn the Rebel High Command if you're planning on leaving for an indeterminate amount of time."

"I will."

Obi-Wan turned towards Luke who stared back at him with an anxious look.

"Do you think I'm ready, Ben?"

"I know you are."

* * *

_Two weeks later…_

"Concentrate Luke! Concentrate!" Obi-Wan urged as another sandstone slowly and shakily lifted off the ground. "Remember, feel the Force flowing through you."

Luke now had five of them levitating around him. He was seated in a meditation pose outside Obi-Wan's old hut on Tattooine.

"You must not bend the Force to your will," Obi-Wan spoke as he paced around the young man. "It is you who must surrender yourself to it and in return, it grants you its power. It is the Sith who treat the Force as something to be subdued."

Luke's face was glistening with sweat and his features were contorted in a rictus of deep concentration but he still managed to nod at what Obi-Wan was saying.

The old master waited a few more minutes before ending the exercise.

"Slowly lay the stones back down…" he said, watching as Luke lowered the sandstones back onto the dirt. "… and relax."

As soon as he said that word, Luke let out a sharp gasp and lied backward onto the sand. He was panting hard and his face was bright red. Obi-Wan reached his hand out towards the water bottle he'd left by the entrance of his hut and it immediately flew through the air into his hand. He handed it to Luke who accepted it gratefully and took a long drink.

"It will be a lot easier for you if you remember to breath." Obi-Wan said, his beard partly disguising a smirk.

Luke ran his hand through his long blond hair, shooting an incredulous look at his master.

"That entire time… I wasn't breathing?" Luke was still panting hard from his unintentional apnea.

"It can happen when we are deeply focused on a task," Obi-Wan explained. "Our mind is so concentrated on the exercise; we completely ignore our body's necessary functions."

"I can't believe I didn't realize it," Luke said as he rose to his feet. "I would have passed out if you hadn't stopped me."

"What is most overlooked, is often the key to a problem." Obi-Wan said with a knowing smirk.

"_Like how you overlooked to tell anyone about Lola Sayu_," R2-D2 beeped sarcastically as he rolled over to both of them, carrying a towel which he handed to Luke.

"Thanks R2," he acknowledged. Luke wiped the sweat off his face before turning back towards Obi-Wan with a slight look of worry. "I just feel like I'm not progressing fast enough. Two weeks we've been here and I'm still unable to lift a couple of rocks… I feel I should be doing more."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly as he sat on a large rock beside him.

"Luke, becoming a Jedi is something one dedicates his entire life to. Deepening our connection to the Force and understanding its will is something we develop every single day. A Jedi's training is never over, whether he is a master or a padawan. I understand your frustration, truly I do, but you must learn patience. If you choose the faster and easier path, that is the path of the Dark Side. The power it grants you is immense and immediate, but it is fleeting, and it requires larger and larger sacrifices. Remember: patience."

"You speak like you know what it's like. The Dark Side." Luke said, not as an accusation, more out of curiosity.

Obi-Wan's eyes seemed to darken for an instant before they refocused on Luke with their familiar shine.

"Unfortunately, yes…" Obi-Wan spoke gravely. "We ALL have a dark side. A Sith lets it control him. A Jedi must accept and learn to control IT. But sometimes, there are some things we just can't control…"

Luke watched as Obi-Wan's voice descended down to a murmur before ceasing entirely. He didn't say a word as the old master reflexively ran his hand through his beard, staring blankly at the sand and rocks.

"Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru asked for my help since it's harvest season," Luke finally spoke up, causing Obi-Wan to glance up in surprise. "Is it alright if I sleep with them tonight and help with the harvest tomorrow."

"Of course, of course, go ahead," Obi-Wan spoke quickly as he rose from his seat. "Wish them both my best. We'll do some lightsaber practice after-tomorrow. And take R2 with you, I'm sure he can lend a hand."

"_Do I look like a harvester droid to you?"_ R2 beeped in mock-offense.

Luke and Obi-Wan shared a laugh at the little droid's antics. The young man made his way to a small speeder, which he was borrowing from the Rebel Alliance. He looked back towards Obi-Wan who watched him and R2 from the entrance of his hut.

From here, Luke was struck by how alone and in pain he seemed. Compared to when he'd first met Ben several years ago, when he only knew him as an old hermit, it was hard to think it was still the same person. Of course he had a missing hand, but the changes went much deeper than that.

As Luke had begun to meditate on Tattooine, he'd sometimes felt brief flashes of anguish. Like images that flashed for half a second in his mind, or a word that was shouted into his head. He hadn't understood at first, but he was able to trace them back to Obi-Wan.

Even in his sleep, he was sometimes awoken by strange nightmarish pictures. A clash of blue lightsabers, giant jets of lava erupting into an ashy sky, cries and curses, a sinister artificial breathing…

He hadn't said anything to Ben, he did not want to worry him, but now, as he looked at his kind, smiling face and understanding eyes, knowing what lied beneath, Luke couldn't help the uneasy feeling that formed in his gut.

"Obi-Wan!" Luke called to him as the latter was turning away. The old master looked back surprised that he had used his real name.

"I won't fail you. I will never be like Vader."

Obi-Wan nodded, giving a final wave goodbye as Luke started up the engine and drove the speeder away, leaving a trail of dust plumes behind him.

He watched as the speeder became smaller and smaller, eventually disappearing into a canyon. Obi-Wan was now alone, surrounded by the sound of distant winds and the drawn-out groans of his Dewback.

Obi-Wan entered his small hut and lit a small candle which cast a soft orange glow, projecting large shadows across the cupola of the hut. Obi-Wan removed his long Jedi Cloak and his beige tunic, revealing his scarred upper body.

Obi-Wan looked at himself in the mirror and could not restrain an inner sigh. His eyes roamed over the various scars that covered his chest and arms. There weren't many, and the most impressive ones were the most recent.

He picked up a small vile of bacta off a shelf and smeared some of the clammy blue liquid over the cut in his side from the battle with the Inquisitors on Lola Sayu. It was done healing but it did occasionally itch when he went to sleep.

Obi-Wan sat himself down on the hard couch; the place where he'd told Luke about his father and how he was meant to become a Jedi like him. He felt like that was ages ago.

Obi-Wan produced a small holoprojector from one of his belt compartments. He turned it over in his hand, running his finger along the worn edges and discolored surface. He'd had it for nearly twenty years now, and it never left his side.

He places it on the small table in front of him and activated the recording:

"Obi-Wan… There's good in him. I know… there's… still…"

Obi-Wan couldn't bring himself to look at the face being projected in front of him. Padmé's voice was enough to make tears well up in his eyes and stream down his face uncontrollably. His throat felt constricted; his entire body was shaking.

_I will make this right, Padmé. I swear it. _

With a wave of his hand, he switched off the holoprojector and lifted himself off the couch and walked towards his modest bedroom.

He lowered himself onto a small mat on the floor, easing his breathing and clearing his mind. Meditations had always helped Obi-Wan sleep. Since Lola Sayu, his dreams had gotten more and more tumultuous.

And what worried him the most, was that he didn't know if they were mere dreams or visions of the future.

* * *

As the large holoprojector powered off, Mara Jade rose to her feet and turned to leave the room. The Emperor had given her new leads from his spies that she would need to follow up. Tracking Kenobi and his apprentice would not be easy, but she appreciated a good challenge.

Just as she was about to leave the room, her eyes wandered over to the strange black pod that occupied most of the space. It was spherical in shape, resembling a much larger version of an interrogation droid.

She casually flipped the red switch on the outside panel and the entire assembly separated into two. The top part of the sphere lifted up to reveal a pure white interior with all sorts of medical devices and technical readouts. There was a seat at the center of the sphere with a sinister-looking claw hovering above it.

Mara Jade set one foot inside the sphere but was unable to take a second one. As soon as she moved inside it, a sudden wave of fear washed over her body. She could feel a presence… no, more like the trace of a presence. A rage and pain that emanated so strongly from this sphere it left her unable to take another step forward and left her petrified.

Gritting her teeth and steeling her nerves she pulled away from the sphere and quickly flipped the switch to close it back up. Only now did she realized she was panting and that her brow was covered in a thin layer of sweat.

She had some ideas on what she'd just experienced but she had no interest in exploring them, now or at any other time. In the future, she would take any incoming transmissions from the Emperor in her own private quarters.

She stepped out of the room and into the grey and black metal corridors of the _Executor_. She made her way to the bridge, acutely aware of the towering presence that was currently tailing her.

Every step she took on the durasteel floor was followed by a louder footstep just behind her. She could not help herself from smiling. After what she felt in that sphere, the current scene that was playing out was unbelievably entertaining for her.

She abruptly stopped her walking and immediately after, the loud footsteps stopped. She resumed walking, and the steps behind her resumed. She stopped again, so did they.

Mara decided to stop her pleasantries and focus on getting herself to the bridge. She would have time to play with her new pet later.

"COMMANDER ON THE BRIDGE!"

The shout was quickly followed by everyone rising out of their seats and standing at attention. Mara was impressed by their diligence, but she knew that their reaction was due to the conditioning they'd endured from the man who's ship she was now commanding.

She let silence reign for a few seconds before emphatically replying:

"At ease!"

Immediately the buzz of voices and the brisk, back and forth walking resumed. Mara Jade walked up to the front of the bridge where Grand Moff Thrawn and Grand Admiral Tarkin were waiting for her.

"Good to see you, commander." Thrawn acknowledged with a curt bow. His tone was polite but Mara knew better than to believe it was genuine. She had heard a lot about Thrawn, sometimes even directly from the Emperor. He was a brilliant and ruthless strategist whom Palpatine had personally called back from his campaign in the unknown regions to assist with her mission.

"Good to meet you too, Grand Moff Thrawn." she acknowledged with a nod.

She turned her eyes to Tarkin who glowered back at her through his beady grey-blue eyes. His lips barely moved as he uttered the word:

"Commander."

Tarkin's behavior was the exact opposite of Thrawn's. He did not try to be likable, nor did he care. He had narrowly escaped the destruction of the first Death Star, but it took a heavy toll on his public credibility and reputation. The Emperor personally demoted him to Grand Admiral and chose Thrawn to replace him. The latter had reluctantly accepted the position and the two were now being forced to cooperate on the same assignment.

Mara Jade had a new level of appreciation for the Emperor's way of handling strong and antagonistic personalities. Just put them both in a room and force them to cooperate. In the end, they would come together in their shared loyalty to the Empire.

"Grand Admiral." she replied evenly.

The fact that neither of them greeted the figure behind her was also part of the Emperor's designs. Mara decided to ignore him for a while and focused her attention on what was happening on the other side of the glass observation windows; which, to her displeasure, was nothing.

"Why has the orbital strike on Lola Sayu stopped?" she asked with a small snort of disbelief. "My orders were to maintain a constant barrage until the enemy is destroyed."

"I ordered the gunners to cease fire," Tarkin replied, his mouth tensing into a thin line. "After several minutes of continuous bombing with no observable results, it only amounted to a waste of munitions."

"You do not have the authority to ignore my orders, Tarkin." Mara ground out, moving slightly closer to him in hopes it would make him lose his nerve. Instead, he looked down at her with the smallest of smiles tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"I seconded the order, commander," Thrawn interrupted. His tone was soft and melodious, paired with the striking contrast between his bright red eyes and his deep blue skin it felt like he could hypnotize you. "I have researched the species we are facing and I strongly advise a change in strategy."

Mara did not like how they were working together to undermine her orders. She would have to ask the Emperor to make her authority final onboard the _Executor_. She did want to start an argument in front of the entire bridge crew, nor was she going to ask Vader to weigh in with his opinion.

"How so?" she inquired to Thrawn.

A smile spread across the Chiss' angular face, producing an expression that always made it feel like he knew something you didn't, which in this case was true.

"I believe we are facing an ancient race called the Lavee, believed to have been extinct for centuries. Some researchers believe the word "lava" is actually derived from their name. They are a polymorphous species that can live up to a thousand years. Their reproduction rates are close to zero and no one has yet to identify exactly how— "

"Dispense with the biology class, Thrawn, and get to the point." Mara ground out, giving an impatient wave of her hand.

"Of course, commander, forgive me," Thrawn conceded with another knowing smile. "They are able to liquefy into the lava on the planet as well as solidify if they wish to walk on land. The latter form is the only one in which they can be destroyed. Otherwise we are simply wasting munitions on pools of lava, as Grand Admiral Tarkin has stated."

I hurt Mara to have to admit it, but his logic was sound. Thrawn certainly earned his reputation of being a thorough and knowledgeable strategist.

"What do you suggest then?" Mara inquired, immediately regretting she'd let herself ask that.

"We simply let them be," Tarkin answered, as if the question were asked to him directly. "They pose no threat to us and Lola Sayu no longer has any strategic value to the Empire. Any clues we might have been able to find are unlikely to have survived the lava, not to mention the bombings."

Mara was desperately trying to hold herself back from Force choking Tarkin on the spot. The fact that he had so casually answered her question and the way he clearly insinuated that the clues were destroyed because of her actions enraged here to no end.

She clamped down on her impulses and composed herself to phrase her reply:

"Are you suggesting we simply let these… creatures continue to live unpunished? After they destroyed our most valued prison?"

"Of course not, commander, that would be absurd," the humorous chuckle that Thrawn gave, as if Mara had intentionally told a joke, made her want to end him as well. "Let us continue our original mission and once the Emperor's new weapon is rebuilt, we shall eradicate this planet in one fell swoop."

Once again, Mara could find no fault with his plan. She regretted having come to the bridge in the first place and having given that bombing order. She hated herself for her carelessness and letting herself be humiliated in such a way. She could feel the peering eyes of all the Imperial technicians in the pits; she could hear their thoughts:

"_Yeah kid, let the grownups handle this."_

"_What was the Emperor thinking, putting her in charge of this mission?"_

"_At least Lord Vader actually knew what he was doing."_

"_Good thing Thrawn and Tarkin are here."_

Mara pushed away all these voices and did her best to keep a blank expression when she spoke:

"Very well, we will proceed with the mission. The Emperor has informed me that his spies may have spotted our targets. Set a course for the Arkanis sector and send out probe droids to all planets in the sector."

"It will be done, commander." Thrawn acknowledged with a small nod and smile.

Mara turned around and started walking away. She had to move around Vader's towering form who was looking at the ship's power readings like she did not exist. Though as soon as she moved to exit the bridge, he set his steps in rhythm with hers, trailing a couple feet behind her.

"COMMANDER LEAVING THE BRIDGE!"

She did not even spare a glance as everyone rose to their feet again, and she did not give the order for them to return to their duties.

_Let them stand, the dogs._

She large blast doors closed behind her and she was alone again in the cold, dark corridors; her only companion was an inexpressive giant filled with nothing but rage and suffering.

"It seems you still have much to learn about patience, little one."

The emotionless, robotic voice was the final straw. Mara ran away from him as if staying in his presence any longer would irreparably harm her.

She managed not to shed a single tear until she was safely back in the privacy of her quarters.

* * *

**And that's all folks!**

**What did you think? Thrawn, Tarkin and Mara Jade? I'm hoping to start showing what's going on for both sides of the conflict.**

**Please favorite, comment and follow if you enjoy. It really help me out a lot.**


	17. Clashes

**Hey everyone! Chapter 17 coming in hot! Thank you for your patience, I hope you'll find it was worth it.**

**I'll just jump straight into the two comments I received and let you get on with the story:**

**-RKF22: You ask and I deliver ;) Here's another chapter, hope you like it.**

**-Guest: probably.**

**All right! Here's chapter 17. Hope you enjoy!**

**Please comment, favorite and follow if you enjoy. It always means a lot to me.**

* * *

Mara was annoyed. The days had turned into weeks, which turned into months and they still had not found Kenobi, Skywalker or the Rebel fleet. Mara had essentially relinquished her command of the mission to Thrawn and Tarkin, but even their leadership had not yielded a single promising lead.

Everyone on-board the _Executor_ was high strung. Mara had not heard from the Emperor in months. She knew all too well their mission would only end once they completed it. Otherwise, it would go on indefinitely. Returning to the Emperor empty-handed was akin to a death wish.

To her greatest surprise, the only one on the entire ship who was not seething with frustration was Vader. For a reason Mara could not fathom, he simply was not annoyed by this, so far, unsuccessful mission. A man whose reputation was of having the shortest temper in the galaxy and the lowest tolerance for failure after the Emperor, was the one who was handling this defeat with the most composure… Mara could not understand how.

She was currently training in the large exercise room of the _Executor_, while the Sith Lord impassively meditated several feet away. This had been their routine for some time now. They wordlessly met in the exercise room at the same time every day and stayed there for several hours, each working separately and without exchanging a word.

Mara unleashed a flurry of swings with her lightsaber, cutting down four training droids whose disassembled bodies clattered to the floor. The others fired their blasters but she dodged and deflected them back with expert precision. The droids were using live blaster rounds of course; as Emperor's hand, it would be unthinkable to use anything else.

A few seconds later, the remaining droids were dealt with and a loud blast went off to indicate that Mara had finished the exercise. She was panting hard and gratefully accepted the towel and water bottle brought to her by a maintenance droid.

Meanwhile, Vader was sat on the floor, legs crossed, meditating. Mara sensed no anger or pain emanating from him, but that did not mean she sensed peace and serenity instead. It was a strange emotional limbo she could not quite describe.

Eventually, her curiosity got the better of her. She called out:

"Hey, Vader! What are you up to?"

He did not respond. Not even a flinch to indicate he'd heard her. Mara moved a bit closer, kneeling down in front of him. She waved her hand in front of the lenses of his helmet.

"Hello! Anybody home?"

Still nothing. Mara reached out and was about to knock on the polished surface of his helmet when Vader's booming voice stopped her:

"I would advise you to reconsider what you are about to do."

Mara quickly got back to her feet, quickly disguising her embarrassment with a carefree smirk. Vader also rose to his feet, towering over her by a substantial margin. She was one meter sixty, he was two meters tall.

"What is it?"

Mara wanted to say it was nothing but her credibility was already too damaged, she did not want to make it worse by interrupting Vader's exercise for no reason.

"I was wondering what you were up to?" Mara asked nonchalantly.

"That is none of your concern." Vader replied evenly.

Mara picked up the warning in his tone. He was saying: "do not pry any more or there will be hell to pay". However, she would not and did not want to back down. She had already let Thrawn and Tarkin walk all over her, if she could not keep the one man who was directly under her command in line, then she was truly as powerless as everyone thought.

"Easy with the attitude, Vader," she shot back, glaring at him. "I outrank you and the Emperor has placed you under my personal supervision."

The silence lasted for several seconds. The only sound was the regular breaths of Vader's respirator. There was no change in his Force signature, and that was exactly what worried Mara. He was like a wall, and she had no idea what monster was hiding behind it.

Eventually, Vader replied with a disinterested tone:

"You cower and cry in front of Thrawn and Tarkin, and believe the power the Emperor gave you over me is indicative of your actual strength? You are weak, girl. Unworthy of an Emperor's hand."

Vader turned away from Mara, his cape billowing empathically behind him. He started to leave the exercise room but stopped when he heard the distinct screech of a lightsaber being turned on.

He turned around. Mara had her magenta lightsaber pointed directly at him, her green eyes marred with swirls of yellow.

"I AM worthy of being the Emperor's hand," Mara's voice was low but deathly intense. Her Force signature slowly began gaining strength as she gave in to her anger. "I will show you my power and you will learn to respect and fear it."

Mara did not see, but she could sense the scorn spreading on Vader's face. Something was changing in his Force signature; the wall was starting to crumble away. He removed his lightsaber from his belt and held it deftly in his hand.

"Is that a challenge?" Vader's voice was like a coiled up string.

"It is an order!" Mara spat out. "Come and fight me!"

As soon as Vader ignited his crimson lightsaber, the blank wall exploded into pieces, revealing the horrors hidden behind it. Mara was unable to move; it was like her feet had been welded to the ground. This presence was absolutely terrifying. It assaulted her mind; she saw Vader as a mutating shape stained in red and black. She could barely hold on to her sword or stay standing.

What was this…? This raw, unrestrained power felt like it did not belong from this world. She could feel the pressure from the Force around her, compressing down on her, restricting her breathing. Mara had to focus all her energy to keep her body from being crushed.

Meanwhile, Vader kept getting closer and closer. Step by step, he bore down upon her, like the Devil himself coming to reap her soul. Mara struggled and struggled but it was no use. She could not escape. She was not strong enough. She was weak….

The red lightsaber rose high up above her head; pausing like a guillotine.

_I'm going to die…_

The blade came down—

"COMMANDER JADE REQUESTED ON THE BRIDGE! COMMANDER JADE REQUESTED ON THE BRIDGE!"

The blade stopped. Just inches away from her neck.

The monster crept back behind the wall and everything returned to normal. As if the last minutes were just a bad dream. But Mara knew better. She had seen the monster and that was all she could ever see.

Vader left the exercise room without another word, leaving Mara alone. Ten minutes passed before she was able to make her way to the bridge.

* * *

Han drew in a deep breath as he waited in front of the doors to the bridge. He had been standing there for several seconds, rehearsing what he was going to say. Normally he would have just entered without thinking twice about it, but he now felt unable to start a conversation with that woman without first reflecting on what he was going to say.

Leia had a frightening power over him which annoyed Han greatly. He tried to avoid having to confront her about any subject since it almost always degenerated into an argument. They seemed to systematically find a way to be on completely opposite sides of any discussion. They had not been sent on a mission together in six months; the amount of time since Luke and Obi-Wan had left the Rebel Alliance.

They had received regular encrypted communications from them to let everyone know they were safe. However, it had been decided that they should not send a response to them to minimize the risk of their communications being tracked.

Han could see that their departure had had an effect on Leia. She had fully immersed herself in her leadership role in the Rebel Alliance and rarely took any time for herself. Han tried to tell himself that he didn't care and that it was her business how she spent her time but the nagging feeling at the back of his mind refused to go away.

The discussion he was about to have with her would be a test. He had to set things straight, both for him and for her. He could no longer deal with all these mixed signals. That quick kiss felt like a distant memory; Han couldn't help but see it as a mistake.

Steeling his nerves and drawing a calm breath, Han moved towards the blast doors which opened to reveal the immaculate white bridge of the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser.

Han had been up here several times but the place always managed to leave him staring for several seconds. However, his attention was immediately drawn away from the bridge's impressive architecture, to the heated argument that was taking place at the front of it.

As Han got closer he recognized Leia's voice, as well as Crix Madine's. Han had never liked Crix. It was one thing that he was a formal Imperial who had defected, but Han also found his attitude and personality extremely abrasive. He had serious little blue eyes that always seemed to be searching for signs of treachery or deceit. He spoke in a clipped, direct fashion that forced you to listen closely to what he said, and he seemed to be borderline paranoid at times.

"I can't believe you said that!" Leia shouted in exasperation. "We had their trust, we were about to sign an alliance pact. What were you thinking?!"

"With all due respect, your highness," Crix shot back with a pointed glare. "The Gryz are a primitive and violent species. Their allegiance to us would have only lasted until the Empire showed them how much stronger they are than us."

"I was in charge of these talks!" Leia shot back, her anger barely contained. "You had no place interrupting them to insult our guests and treat them like primitive animals."

"Your highness," Crix tried to strike a more conciliatory tone. "I do not doubt the Gryz's sentience, nor their abilities in battle. However, they are a warrior culture; still tied to fighting with clubs and spears. It is too big a gamble for too little a reward."

Leia said nothing for several seconds. Han watched as her tense muscles and the lines on her face slowly eased away like she was letting all her worries evaporate into thin air.

With newfound patience, she addressed Crix:

"Let's just get back to the fleet. I'll leave you to explain this debacle to the High Command. I'm sure Admiral Ackbar will be happy he let us borrow one of his cruisers for a fruitless mission."

Crix ignored Leia's jab. He saluted meekly and left the bridge without another word. Han waited for a few seconds after he had left before addressing Leia:

"Princess. I'd like a word."

Leia quickly looked over her shoulder and a subtle expression of relief washed over her face. She handed a datapad back to one of her aids before approaching Han with a small smile.

"Fancy seeing you up here," she said humorously. "You never come on the bridge if you can avoid it."

"Yeah, well I can't really avoid this anymore," Han did not want to be so blunt but he felt it was the only way he would finally settle his feelings once and for all. "I came to tell you I'm leaving.

Leia's smiling face transformed into utter confusion and disbelief.

"What?"

"I can't keep sitting on these unpaid debts," Han continued quickly. "I have the credits to pay back Jabba and I've helped you Rebels more than enough already."

"What are you talking about 'you Rebels'?" Leia asked incredulously, her confusion slowly replaced by frustration. "You're as much a Rebel as anyone on this ship. You've helped us make a REAL difference in this war. You can't walk away from it now."

"I can, and I have to," Han fired back, his tone rising slightly. "It doesn't matter who wins this war, my debts will still be there. I want to make sure I can retire without a bounty on my head."

"So you'll abandon all of your friends to save your own skin?" Leia's tone was unabashedly accusatory. "We ALL have bounties on our heads, we ALL risk our lives day after day. How can you be such a selfish coward!"

As soon as she said those words, Leia immediately wished she could take them back. The look in Han's eyes told her she'd crossed the line. The smuggler stiffened up. His voice was layered with anger and hurt:

"You know NOTHING about me. I have sacrificed so much to get where I am, and I would have sacrificed it all again but… you were just stringing me along weren't you?"

Leia's anger seemed to evaporate to be replaced by confusion. The way Han had spoken with such genuine regret and pain had taken her off guard. She reached out to touch his forearm—

"BLAM!"

A sudden explosion rocked the entire bridge, throwing everyone off their feet. The force of the blast sent Leia flying into Han who both crashed into a wall. They quickly disentangled from each other; Han rushed up to the observation windows while Leia ran up to the Mon Calamari who captained their ship.

"What's happening?"

"The Empire has found us! They took out the hyperdrive!"

Another explosion rippled through the entire ship. Red lights and warning sirens started echoing all over the bridge.

"Main engines are down, sir! Shields are dropping!" a technician yelled.

"More enemy ships coming out of hyperspace!" another shouted.

"Princess, you should come see this." Han urgently called to Leia.

She approached the observation windows and saw four Star Destroyers and an _Executor_-class Star Dreadnought surrounding them. The ships continued to pummel the Rebel cruiser with cannon fire, sending shockwaves across the entire vessel.

"Sound the evacuation order!" Leia yelled at the Mon Calamari captain. "Make sure all sensitive information is destroyed and abandon ship."

"Come on, we need to get you out of here," Han spoke urgently. He raised up his comlink and spoke into it: "Chewie, get the Faulcon ready. We're leaving now."

"I can't leave," Leia protested angrily. "I need to make sure everyone escapes safely."

"I don't give a damn, princess," Han replied unequivocally. "I'm making sure YOU escape safely."

* * *

Rahm Kota had had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach just seconds before the first explosion. He was busy training the padawans and Jedi Knights alongside Galen Marek. He was teaching considerably fewer students than before. Some had been returned to their parents if they were still alive, while others who had no interest in staying with the Rebel Alliance had simply left. This had left his class with seven Jedi apprentices.

They had all learned to mask their Force presences, so Rahm had started teaching them basic Force techniques as well as lightsaber combat. It was during this latter exercise that the explosion occurred.

As everyone around them ran to their battle stations, Rahm quickly told Galen to get the students to the _Rogue Shadow _and take off as soon as possible.

"What about Kiko?!" one of the students asked. "She left to use the refresher."

_Damn_, Rahm thought. _There isn't time._

"Galen, get the students to safety and take off," he told the young man. "I'll get Kiko and find a ship."

Galen paused for a moment before nodding wordlessly as if a silent agreement had passed between them. He led the students towards the _Rogue Shadow_ which Juno was already preparing for take-off. The _Millennium Faulcon_ which was stationed right next to it was doing the same.

Rahm ran as fast as he could towards Kiko's Force signature. He could sense the presence of soldiers passing by him, going to defend the ship, as Imperial boarding parties started infiltrating the Mon Calamari cruiser.

Rahm eventually found Kiko fighting alongside a squad of his commandos, to repel Stormtroopers who were boarding their ship. She was deflecting laser bolts, standing in the middle of the corridor, whilst the commandos fired at the Imperials on either side of her.

_Stupid girl. We don't have time for this._

Rahm concentrated on the Force, let it flow through every fiber of his body. He jumped over Kiko's head and followed it up with a concentrated Force wave that propagated down the tight corridors and sent all the Stormtroopers flying several meters back.

"Everyone evacuate! Now!" he shouted, directing everyone back towards the hangar. "Get to an escape pod or a ship."

"Master, we can fight them," Kiko tried to protest as Rahm dragged her away from the Imperials. "We can beat them."

"I don't care about beating them," Rahm shouted as he dragged her towards the hangar, where he could sense a dark presence was closing in. "I want you to live."

Rahm, the commandos and Kiko arrived into the hangar to a terrifying sight. Through all the entrances, Stormtroopers were swarming in. The Rebel soldiers were being pushed back towards the center of the hangar with almost nothing to use for cover.

The only ship that was still in the hangar was the _Millennium Faulcon. _Rahm saw three people, whom he recognized as Han Solo, princess Leia Organa, and general Crix Madine, emerge from a blast door and make a run for the ship while being chased by more Stormtroopers. Rahm could not believe the level of coordination in this attack, every single one of their escape routes was cut off.

For a brief second, Rahm caught Han's eye from across the hangar. The latter looked at him in sheer fear and desperation, to which the old Jedi merely shook his head and mouthed the word: _GO_.

Rahm turned back to Kiko, who was still holding her ignited lightsaber in her hand.

"You wanted a fight, let's give them a fight."

He ignited his green saber and started cutting down the nearest Stormtroopers, while Kiko deflected incoming blaster bolts to protect the Rebel soldiers. It looked like they were holding their ground and might be able to gain the upper hand; until a monster joined the fight.

His black silhouette and red lightsaber were infamous among soldiers of the Rebel Alliance. Those who had seen them and escaped with their lives were few. As soon as he came into the hangar, everyone knew this would be their final stand.

Vader mercilessly moved forward like a Rankor, decimating everyone in his path. He picked up soldiers and flung them through the air into his lightsaber, others, he crushed their necks with the Force instantly. He blocked blaster bolts with his saber, even some with his hand. Nothing and no one could stop him; Rahm knew it.

There was no way out. The _Millennium Faulcon_ had managed to leave the hangar safely; there were no more ships they could use to escape. This was it.

"Kiko! Back to back!" Rahm called out.

The young Jedi heeded her master's orders. They were now moving in synch, deflecting blaster bolts as the soldiers around them were shot down, one by one.

"Master, you have a plan, right?" Kiko asked, trying to keep the worry and fear out of her voice. "You can beat that thing with the helmet, right?"

Rahm took a deep breath, clearing his mind for what he needed to do next. He extinguished his lightsaber, closed his eyes and spoke slowly:

"I have a plan, Kiko. It will keep you safe, and I will never forgive myself for it, but I cannot accept the alternative."

"What are you— "

Kiko's response was cut off by a lightsaber that pierced right through her heart; a green lightsaber. She died instantly. Rahm caught her as she fell, cradling her in his arms.

"You are a Jedi. You are one with the Force, and the Force will guide you."

* * *

Mara had to give Thrawn and Tarkin credit; this had been a masterfully executed attack. The Rebel cruiser had been encircled and boarded in less than a minute. Their decision to have all troops converge on the hangar to catch anyone trying to escape had not been entirely successful since some ships had managed to outmaneuver the Imperial ships, but most had been caught in the tractor beams of the waiting Star Destroyers.

As she followed, Thrawn and Tarkin through the smoking remains of the Rebel ship, she reveled in the unrivaled might the Empire had just displayed. The corridors were littered with the corpses of Rebel soldiers and Stormtroopers, some showing signs of having fought in hand to hand combat.

_It's a shame they can't realize when they are beaten._

As they approached the hangar, Mara peered into one of the many sleeping quarters. It had been riddled with blaster fire, the back wall was completely charred and scorched. On the bed lay a half-naked Twi'lek woman cradling a small child, no older than a few months. They were both dead; mutilated by blaster bolts.

Mara drank in the scene with vague detachment, as if this simply made sense in the grand war the Empire was waging against the Rebels. Even women and children were targets. That was the cost of war.

Mara moved out of the room and made her way to the hangar, which presented the same scene as earlier. Bodies were being piled up in a corner; there did not appear to be any prisoners. Actually, that was not entirely true, there WAS one Rebel left.

An old man was kneeling on the floor, in what Mara recognized as a meditative pose. The body of a young woman lay beside him. There were two lightsabers placed in front of him.

Mara smiled devilishly and approached the old man, who was surrounded by Stormtroopers, all with their weapons trained on him. She noticed Vader standing to the side, covered in blood, but did not spare him another thought. She had no interest remembering about him.

One of the Stormtroopers approached Tarkin and Thrawn to deliver a report on the situation:

"The last of the Rebels are being routed out as we speak. We cannot yet determine how many escaped or if there is any significant intel onboard."

"I would not count on it, captain," Thrawn said dismissively, as he admired the different races of the slaughtered Rebel soldiers. He had always pitied the fact the Empire did not allow a homogeny concerning the species of its troops. "According to the transmission we intercepted, princess Leia was onboard this ship. She would not be so careless as to let valuable information fall into our hands."

"What is the story with that one?" Tarkin changed the subject, gesturing towards Rahm.

"He just laid down his weapons and has been sitting there ever since, sir," the Stormtrooper explained. "Before that, we saw him kill a Force wielding girl. We're not sure why, sir."

This last piece of information stirred Mara's curiosity. What had pushed this old Jedi to do such a thing? Thrawn, however, already knew the answer:

"It would seem that in order to spare this girl the tortures and manipulations of the Inquisitorius, he decided to end her life. How interesting… It certainly is not typical Jedi behavior."

Mara would not have phrased it quite that way, but she shared the sentiment. She too wanted to know more about this old Jedi; understand what made him tick.

She stood a couple of feet away from the old man, who kept his gaze fixed to the ground.

"Do you wish to surrender, Jedi?" she asked menacingly.

"I simply wanted to know where this inconsistency had come from," Rahm replied with a smirk. "I sensed all kinds of dark presences, but I could not find you. I was curious."

Mara did not like what he was insinuating.

"Where is Kenobi and the Rebel fleet?"

"Out of your reach," Rahm answered. "Any important people you could have captured have escaped safely, and those who could have been valuable to you are now dead. Your Emperor will not be pleased."

"SILENCE!" Mara's anger erupted like a volcano. She ignited her lightsaber and pointed it at Rahm's face. "Tell me what you know!"

"I know that there is much conflict within you. I know that you feel you a call from something bigger than you or your Emperor. You are afraid… I know someone who was like you. Someone who was corrupted by darkness but who still managed to find the light."

Rahm finally lifted his head, turning his blind eyes towards Vader, who stared back impassively. The old Jedi then stared unflinchingly at Mara and the blade she kept hovering over his head.

"Strike me down, and I will always be with you."

That sentence actually piqued Vader's interest. He stopped whipping the blood off his hands to cross them over his chest. He stood perfectly still, waiting to see what Mara did next.

"Do not patronize me, Jedi," Mara ground out, her body tense with anger. "I will torture you until you are close to death; until you beg for me to stop. I WILL find Kenobi and his insignificant apprentice."

Rahm smiled back. A genuine, destabilizing smile, followed by these simple words:

"Don't be afraid, Mara."

Those words were like a switch in Mara's mind. She gripped Rahm's shoulder with her left hand and drove her lightsaber straight through his heart. She pulled his face up to hers to stare straight into his eyes as the life drained out of them.

The smile on his lips never left his face. His eyes closed and his head tilted forward to rest against Mara's forehead. She felt the contact for several seconds before Rahm's face disappeared, as did the rest of his body. His entire body evaporated into the living Force, leaving behind his Jedi robes and two ownerless lightsabers.

* * *

"Master!"

Luke and Obi-Wan had been busy sparring when suddenly the latter dropped his lightsaber and held his head in pain. Luke caught his master as the latter stumbled slightly. He helped him over to a nearby rock as Obi-Wan stared in the distance with haggard eyes.

They had changed a lot over the past couple of months. Physically, they both looked stronger, with more defined muscles and many more defined callouses on their hands. Luke's hair had been cut short and his arms were covered in small cuts and scars. Obi-Wan's grey-white hair had grown to shoulder length, which he now kept in a braid behind his head. His beard was trimmed short but still had enough length for Obi-Wan to reflectively pass his hand through.

As Obi-Wan's heartrate progressively returned to normal, Luke was suddenly hit by a strange wave of nausea. He felt a piercing headache creep up on him, growing in intensity, before completely disappearing after a couple of seconds.

"You've sensed it too," Obi-Wan muttered. "There was a strong disturbance in the Force. Something terrible has happened."

Luke's eyes immediately widened as he understood what his master was implying. He'd gotten into the habit of referring to Obi-Wan as "master". The latter kept telling him it was not necessary but Luke had insisted; it had felt important to cement their bond and mark the return of the Jedi by calling Obi-Wan "master" and in turn, having Luke be called "padawan". While they often used these titles to address each other, it also happened that they call each other by name; whatever felt more natural in context.

"Something must have happened with the Rebel Alliance," Luke's tone sped up and rose in pitch as a wave of panic swept over him. "Han, Leia, everyone; they're in danger."

"Calm yourself, padawan," Obi-Wan rebuked firmly, rising up to his feet. "We don't know anything for now. Let's not cede to speculation and paranoia. Remember, patience, calm your senses, and meditate. Feel their presence through the Force."

Luke's initial bout of panic quickly simmered down. He nodded apologetically and kneeled down on the sand to meditate. Obi-Wan did the same, sitting right in front of him.

For several seconds, they said nothing. They both eased their breathings, communing with their surroundings; the sand beneath their feet, the twin suns beating down upon them, the howl of distant sand winds, the occasional squeal of a Womp rat…

"Now: concentrate. Feel their presence," Obi-Wan urged, as they both reached out into the Force to find the source of this disturbance. "What does it tell you?"

"I can sense Leia clearly," Luke answered slowly. "She seems… worried, but she's safe. Han is with her, Chewie as well. They're all alive."

"Good. Now, what has Leia worried?" Obi-Wan inquired further. "Trace back what happened."

Luke's brow furrowed in concentration as he delved deeper into his mediation.

"Their ship was attacked; they were boarded by the Empire… There was a battle. Many died… There was a familiar presence… Vader! He was there. But there were others with him… presences I can't quite place… Wait… there was a familiar presence… Rahm! He is still here but his Force presence is strange somehow… like he isn't entirely with us…"

"That's because I'm not." a gruff male voice spoke next to them.

Luke and Obi-Wan opened their eyes. They turned towards the voice and immediately recognized Rahm Kota, except he was glowing blue and transparent. Obi-Wan nodded his head and let out a low sigh as he and Luke stood up.

"Oh don't be so grim, Kenobi," Rahm chided with a grin. "At least I can see again."

"What happened?" Luke asked Rahm, complete disbelief in his eyes.

"They came out of nowhere. We didn't stand a chance," Rahm spoke with measured intensity. "I know that Galen and the rest of the padawans escaped safely. So did the princess. They'll be safely back with the fleet soon enough. They were looking for both of you."

Luke nodded slowly, still trying to understand what Rahm was. His Force presence was not that of a living person, but it also was not absent like a deceased one.

"Rahm, are you dead?" Luke asked bluntly.

"Yeah." he replied with equal directness.

"I thought all life was returned to the Living Force when it died?"

Obi-Wan cleared his throat softly, not satisfied he had to skip ahead in Luke's training like this, though it could not be helped at this stage.

"That is true, padawan. However, there is a way to retain one's individuality after death. Very few know it to be possible. In fact, it was only discovered shortly before the destruction of the Jedi Order. Only myself, Rahm, Qui-Gon, and master Yoda know of it."

"But this is incredible!" Luke said excitedly. "If all Jedi were to learn this technique, the Empire would no longer stand a chance."

"Easy there, kid," Rahm interrupted. "This is an incredible ability but it isn't all-powerful. I am essentially in a limbo between the Living Force and the world of the living. Meaning that I'm at risk of disappearing if I draw too much upon the Force. We also can't appear in places with a strong Dark Side presence, nor can we physically interact with your world, only through the Force."

"Not to mention that the power of this ability also lies in its anonymity," Obi-Wan continued. "For now, only the Jedi know how to manifest their consciousness after death, but could you imagine if the Emperor knew of such an ability?"

Luke did not say anything. The responsibility and weight of such an ability was beginning to dawn on him.

"I can only intervene in limited ways," Rahm said. "It may sound defeatist of me to say this but if ever all living Jedi were to be exterminated, it would fall upon US to find and train the next generation. I can't put myself at risk and jeopardizing the survival of the Jedi."

"We understand, Rahm," Obi-Wan said. Luke nodded as well. "What will you do now?"

"I'll visit Galen once he's back with the fleet," Rahm said, letting out a humorous sigh. "He'll need help, becoming the master of all those padawans…"

Obi-Wan notices how Rahm's voice faltered and his Force presence was tinged by remorse for an instant before returning to normal.

"What are you both going to do?" Rahm quickly said to cover up his pause.

"Luke is progressing well through his training," Obi-Wan said with a smile and a pat on Luke's shoulder. "I believe we are ready to leave Tattooine, especially if the Empire is looking for us."

"Where are we going?" Luke inquired.

"To your mother's homeworld: Naboo."

* * *

**There we go! What did everyone think?**

**We're rearing up on Episode V soon… excited to write the departures from the canonical progression.**

**Please favorite, comment and follow if you enjoyed.**


	18. Revelations

**Did anyone order another chapter?**

**Here's another one for you, on the house. I've been having a lot of new projects alongside university work so my fanfic output has been slowed, but rest assured, it will not die. I had a slight writers block/depression that left me unable to even write a paragraph for several days, but I'm happy to say I feel much better now.**

**This chapter marks the final events that take place during the gap between episodes IV and V. I'm excited to return to some known places but to add the important twists that come with our good friend Obi-Wan surviving the Death Star.**

**Before we get this show on the road, let's answer some comments:**

**-** **RKF22: Yeah, I hope the reason and the impulse behind his action as clear. It didn't feel too out of his character. May the Force be with you!**

**-** **Quiyes: it's true that Rahm's death needed to feel impactful and make sense in terms of other characters' arcs. It shouldn't just be a throwaway. Here, he essentially shows the true power of the Force to Mara but also to Vader, since he did no see Obi-Wan do it in ep IV.**

**I'm not sure about the Sith's equivalent to Force ghosts. I'd imagine it exists, I'll look into it. The problem with the Force ghost ability is that it can be used as a "deus ex machina" sort of ability, so I want it to feel like it has its disadvantages. I think you CAN continue training your abilities while in limbo, especially meditating, but I think it's good that there is always the possibility that you will return to the living Force if you draw upon its power too much. It's like the Force is saying "I'm allowing you to stay around but remember you aren't supposed to just solve people's problems for them and if you abuse this power I've granted you, I'll return you to me like everyone else" sort of thing. Like when in Last Jedi, Yoda summons LIGHTNING and HITS LUKE WITH HIS STICK!, is complete BS and falls too much into the "unbeatable power" category.**

**Yes, I'm hoping to show that both their powers are growing, though of course one will always be more powerful than the other since he is the Chosen One.**

**Can't say anything about Leia yet, unfortunately. Neither yes or no, but I'm definitely considering it. If I did do it, I want to find a way to weave it in without it being too jarring.**

**I DOO have more ideas! Especially now that we're moving into episode V… won't reveal too much for now, but I do hope to diversify the Jedi lore down the line as much as possible with different lightsabers, skills…**

**Thank you so much for your comments and observations! It truly means a lot.**

**Alright! That's all the comments from the last chapter, so let's just jump straight into chapter 18. There will be some strong character moments here, some I'm not sure if they entirely make sense, so please tell me what you thought in the comments. **

**Please also favorite and follow if you enjoy, it helps me out a lot. Even a comment that says you like the story is really appreciated.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"We'll rejoin the fleet in a couple of minutes," Han informed Leia and Crix Madine who were waiting in the _Millennium Faulcon's _communal area. They both shared somber expressions and barely responded to Han's comment.

The smuggler awkwardly waited for a reply before understanding it was not coming. He turned around to leave but a voice stopped him:

"Captain, I'd like a word if you please."

Han turned towards Leia who eyed him blankly. The seconds of silence that followed were soon interrupted by Crix who rose to his feet.

"I'll go see if the Wookie needs any help." he said distractedly.

Crix left the communal area, not looking at either of them and made his way to the cockpit.

Han felt like weights were being added to his imaginary backpack with every second of silence that passed. He stayed motionless as Leia nervously fiddled with her fingers and avoided his gaze. Han heaved an internal sigh of relief when she finally spoke…:

"I don't want you to leave."

…His sigh turned into an internal scream:

_That's what she's been thinking about?!_

Han was stunned. He had completely forgotten about his talk with Leia on the bridge. He did not expect her to have been thinking about that.

"It'll be complicated to leave after all this," Han said, as casually as he could. "I doubt anyone will be allowed to go until the High Command figures out how the Imperials found us."

"Stop being coy about this, Han. It isn't like you," Leia replied. Her tone was not frustrated, just tired and wary. "I want you to stay with the Rebel Alliance. Join us officially, and accept a rank worthy of your accomplishments."

Han was caught off guard, though he should have seen it coming. He was rarely able to talk to Leia without being left speechless. It was to be expected by now. Still, he had no idea how to reply. He had expected HER to tell him to leave or stay, not act as a mouthpiece for the Rebel Alliance.

"THAT'S the reason you want me to stay?" Han asked, trying to keep the anger out of his tone. "Because I'd be a good asset for the Rebellion?"

"Of course," Leia replied genuinely, finally locking eyes with him. "You're a brilliant pilot, a natural leader and good in a fight. The Rebellion needs you."

Han felt like he'd been slapped with a cold rag. The way Leia said this left him feeling hollow and angry.

"I…" Han could not say what he wanted to say. It would be so much easier if he could just put a word on what he was feeling. Why did things have to be so damn complicated?

Han looked deep into Leia's brown eyes. He could see their sincerity, but he also desperately searched for something else. Just an inkling that could make him say for sure there was something between them. But how could he even see such a thing? Could SHE see it in his eyes?

Han could not take this anymore, all these insecurities and jumbled emotions. All of the tension and frustration which he usually kept locked away and disguised with overwhelming bravado was unleashed. Qi'ra, his actions in the Imperial Navy… _it was all my fault…_

Without warning, Han kicked over a box of tools, sending them flying in all directions. An empty munitions crate was also kicked over, then punched, then kicked again. Han felt like he was overheating; he needed to vent and the only way he knew how was through violence, like he had when he was young…

"Han! Stop!" Leia cried as she jumped to her feet. Her voice was laced with concern but Han could not hear it. He had run out of objects to kick and throw, so he moved to the closest thing to him: the walls of his ship.

The first punch he threw into the durasteel panels was followed by a sickening crack and pop as two of his knuckles shattered. But the pain did not register; his eyes were glazed over, tinged with unnatural reflects. He continued to punch the wall. The cracking and popping turned into a wet thumping sound, as he stained the walls with his blood.

He could not hear anything; his vision was blurry… he could not even feel his hands. All his senses were paralyzed but his anger was still raging. This repressed rage from years ago that seemed unquenchable.

He continued to punch but he could no longer feel the _Faulcon's_ walls under his mangled fists. He was crazed; incapable of rationality. He rocked his head backward, ready to land a final decisive blow with his skull, desperately hoping it would knock him out and finally quell the burning rage in his gut.

But before he could act; a small hand covered his eyes, another hand crept up around his chest; a warm body pressed against his back. He stayed perfectly still because, for a moment, his mind went blank.

The hand covering his eyes felt like it sent a healing warmth through his body. The hand on his chest and the body pressed flush against his back illuminated his soul. He could feel something larger bringing them together.

He became aware of the soreness in his hands; how they were bloated because of the severed blood vessels. His legs were bruised from all the kicking; he was so tired. Han's entire body slumped back, but Leia gently eased him to the floor, cradling his head in her lap.

She kept her right hand over his eyes, and gently stroked his cheek with her left. Han no longer felt anger, he sensed something else; in him, and in her. Something was showing them their feelings for each other, like two halves being brought together. Han remembered what he'd told Luke about 'hokey religions' and a small smirk graced his lips…

"So this is what it feels like…" Han whispered.

He could not hear what Leia murmured back. He only felt her soft lips against his as he slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Make sure you keep your head down. We don't want anyone to challenge our disguises." Obi-Wan whispered to Luke who nodded discreetly.

Luke was wearing a black wig, brown contacts and a comically pointy goatee to disguise his features. He was dressed, like many other young Naboo, in an embroidered jacket, paired with elegant pants and shoes. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan was draped in a hand-woven cloak that disguised his severed hand. He leaned against Luke for support and carried a cane in his good hand.

They were posing as a grandfather and his assistant. The Imperial presence on Naboo was noticeably less aggressive compared to other planets but there were still occasional patrols of Stormtroopers in the streets of Theed. However, they would not pay attention to a hobbling old man and his eccentric-looking helper.

Obi-Wan had thought about visiting Padmé's sister, Sola Naberrie, or even Jar Jar, but ultimately decided against it. They could not risk implicating them, and Obi-Wan did not feel he had the strength to revive any more memories from his past.

They had left R2 with their ship, which they'd parked several miles outside the capital, hidden in the dense swamplands. It had been a long trek, made even longer once Obi-Wan had to start walking like a crippled old man, but they had finally reached their goal: Padmé's mausoleum.

It was beautiful, elegant and understated; a perfect symbol of the woman it immortalized. It was located close to the Royal Palace, overlooking the distant waterfalls and orange sunset. The mausoleum was made of gold, silver and sand-colored brick with dark stone pillars and arches. It was surrounded by a luminous pond, populated by beautiful exotic fish, and could only be accessed via a stone walkway.

It was guarded by two Stormtroopers, who blocked Obi-Wan and Luke's path when they approached.

"Access is restricted. Move along, citizen."

"Why don't you give it a try." Obi-Wan spoke slowly to his apprentice, ignoring the Stormtroopers.

Luke nodded, cleared his voice and enunciated:

"You WILL let us through."

The Stormtroopers paused, glanced at each other before one replied:

"Did you just give me an order, kid?" he asked aggressively, moving closer to Luke and shoving him back. "You better watch yourself."

"Please excuse my assistant," Obi-Wan interrupted with a deferential bow. "He must remember patience and balance."

"What?" the Stormtrooper asked incredulously.

Luke took a deep breath and tried again, channeling the power of the Force into his words with a small wave of his hand.

"You WILL let us through."

Another moment of silence passed between the Stormtroopers, during which Luke tensed up with anxiety, which disappeared when they moved out of the way and said in unison:

"We will let you through."

Luke was about to walk past them but Obi-Wan held him back. He smiled coyly at Luke before saying:

"Never pass up an opportunity to practice your abilities, Luke. Keep going."

Luke thought quickly about what to do next; meanwhile, the Stormtroopers just waited unmoving until he spoke again:

"You WILL switch your blasters to stun."

"We will switch our blasters to stun."

True to their word, they both changed the setting on their rifles. Luke looked to Obi-Wan, silently begging for them to go but he silently urged him to try one more.

"You WILL spit in your helmets and put them back on."

"We will spit in our helmets and put them back on."

With disgusted fascination, Luke watched as the Stormtroopers spat inside their helmets and unflinchingly put them back on their heads. He nervously cast a look around them, but thankfully, there was no one else nearby.

Luke and Obi-Wan proceeded slowly down the pathway across the water to the entrance of the mausoleum. Luke did not know what he was expecting to feel, but for now, he only felt the loud beating of his heart inside his ribcage.

The center of the room was occupied by a large stone sarcophagus, engraved with all sorts of scriptures, symbols, and images. A beautiful multicolored stained glass window dotted the inside of the mausoleum with rainbow patterns of light from the setting sun.

The glass depicted a beautiful woman, resembling an angel. Luke deduced it was his mother. He admired this representation of her, trying to construct an image of what she might have looked like. It was difficult; the stained glass only gave general details about her appearance, but somehow, Luke felt he understood what sort of person his mother was. Beautiful just like her image on the glass; small yet impactful like this mausoleum; passionate and loving above all else...

Luke suddenly sensed a stir in Obi-Wan's Force signature that echoed everything he'd guessed about his mother. He looked discreetly at his master who did a good job of keeping his face neutral. However, his feelings told the truth: profound sorrow, regret, and pain. Luke had not told Obi-Wan how clearly he was able to feel his emotions; he did not want to make him retreat back and ignore them.

"She must have been beautiful." Luke commented pensively.

"She was," Obi-Wan admitted, pacing around the stone sarcophagus. "She always wore elaborate and stylish dresses with even more elaborates hairstyles. It seemed so effortless for her, it made a lot of the senators quite jealous."

"Apparently even Jedi weren't safe from her charms." Luke said with a smirk.

Obi-Wan understood he was referring to Anakin, but his words also rang true in another sense. One that Obi-Wan had tried to forget about. His purpose on this trip was to finally put Padmé's memories to rest. To leave them in her mausoleum, and no longer have her be a haunting spirit in his mind.

"How did she die?"

Obi-Wan clenched his teeth. He had tried not to think about his answer to that question. He had already twisted the truth about Anakin's death, and sadly he would have no choice but to do the same for Padmé.

"There were… complications around the end of her pregnancy," Obi-Wan answered slowly, making sure he devolved just enough truth to not make it a lie. "She passed away shortly after giving birth."

His twin sister; Anakin attacking Padmé; Darth Vader; Obi-Wan could not share these things. He knew that deceiving Luke like this was cruel, but he reasoned that it was crueler to burden him with such knowledge. For now, Padmé's death, like her husband's, would remain veiled in half-truths.

Obi-Wan watched as Luke circled the sarcophagus, pensively running his hand along the different writings and motifs. The old Jedi could sense his apprentice was keeping some of his thoughts and feelings shielded from him, but he did not mind. Luke was free to have secrets; it would have been hypocritical if Obi-Wan thought otherwise.

"What do we do now?" Luke asked after several moments of silence.

"I had hoped to continue your training, but with the Empire tightening their net around the Rebel Alliance I fear it would be unwise to remain away any longer," Obi-Wan spoke with a measured tone. "We must return to the fleet."

Obi-Wan could sense Luke's fleeting relief which he quickly tried to disguise. He could empathize with his apprentice. Training Luke had been more taxing and difficult than he'd initially thought. Of course, it was in part due to Luke's powerful connection to the Force which sometimes made him unpredictable and impatient, but also because of Obi-Wan's own fear and doubts about his qualifications as a master.

_It is time for him to meet Master Yoda_, Obi-Wan concluded.

The old Jedi began to slowly drift towards the exit of the mausoleum, eager to not stay in this place any longer than was appropriate. He could sense its power over him and he did not want to show weakness in front of his apprentice.

As he was about to leave, he looked around and saw Luke was still beside the sarcophagus. He appeared to be praying, hands linked together, elbows pressed upon the stone. Obi-Wan almost missed it, but he saw he was gripping Shmi's carved Japor Snippet that he'd given to him on Tattooine. The sight brought a surge of emotions through Obi-Wan's gut, which he quickly released into the Force.

He would not fail his apprentice. He swore to her and to himself it would never happen again.

* * *

Life on board the _Executor_ had returned to its prior monotony. While the attack on Princess Leia's cruiser had been thrilling and had served as important motivation and stimuli for the troops, their victory had been more symbolic than anything else.

Thrawn had been right; predictably. There was no significant intel they could salvage from the ship; all the data had been corrupted as soon as they'd launched their attack. The ship itself had been sent to a scrapyard and any materiel they found onboard had been repurposed. The Rebels they'd managed to capture had been tortured, but only revealed incomplete pieces of intel which did not help their mission.

Yesterday's attack had already been pushed out of Mara's mind. Today, she was focusing on the one who had insured its success: Darth Vader.

She had spent several hours trying to meditate on who or what he was exactly. The incident in the training arena was still fresh in her mind, and while she hated how she had reacted, she was also intrigued by what had caused it. Even after hours of meditation, she could still not conceive that his power was attainable by a human being. Did the Emperor even have such power?

She had tried to learn more about Vader, but Imperial records about him were frustratingly sparse. It was mainly general information or second-hand testimonies from people who had encountered or worked with him. She could find nothing about who he was, or had been, nor where he came from.

The only piece of relevant information she could find was an old Imperial propaganda pamphlet:

_Lord Vader is Emperor Palpatine's second in command and has served by his side since before the birth of the Galactic Empire, under the Old Republic. He is a former Jedi and one of the few who remained loyal to the Emperor during the Jedi Order's treasonous attempt to overthrown the Republic. He bravely fought to protect his excellency but was gravely wounded and savagely tortured by the traitorous Jedi Order. However, his sacrifice was not in vain, as the Jedi were ultimately defeated and peace was restored to the galaxy. Despite his injuries, Lord Vader continues to serve the Empire on the front lines, hunting down any remaining Jedi traitors and delivering the same mercy they showed him. All hail Lord Vader! All hail the Emperor!_

While the information was intriguing, it did not help Mara to better understand Vader. She also knew how these pamphlets were written, so she had no way of knowing where the truth ended and where the lies began.

Mara had run out of leads to chase. It seemed she only had one option left to learn who Vader truly was: ask him directly. Mara hated that it was her only option, but she also saw it as a personal challenge. She needed to overcome her fear towards him and learn the secret to his incredible power.

In a rush of confidence, Mara ran out of her quarters and walked at a brisk pace towards Vader's meditation chamber, where she could sense his presence. However, as she got closer to her destination, Mara's pace slowed down. How was she supposed to ask Vader her question? He would think her a fool.

Mara arrived in front of the large grey blast doors. Behind them waited Darth Vader, his presence strangely muddled, which confused Mara since she expected him to be meditating.

She steeled herself, drew a calming breath and keyed open the door. She walked in with a brisk and decisive pace, all to stop suddenly a couple of feet away from the meditation chamber. The detail that immediately put her on guard was the fact the pod was not closed; there was a gap through which Mara could see.

Ultimately, Mara's curiosity outweighed her rationality. She stepped forward to better see the inside of the chamber. The image of the monster she had expected to see was immediately shattered by the reality in front of her.

She saw the back of a white scalp, devoid of any hairs and covered with burn scars. The pale head was stained with streaks of yellow discoloration. Vader's breathing was no longer a deep mechanized pump, but a low rasping gasp that seemed to both savor and recoil at each breath of air.

Mara could not help moving closer. Somehow, Vader had not seemed to notice her presence and she made sure to keep her Force signature invisible. She watched as he drew deeper and deeper breaths, each one seeming to inflict more pain. Mara could hear strange rumblings and vibrations from inside his chest like his internal organs were fraying under the weight of each breath.

When Vader inhaled again, he was assaulted by violent coughs which shook his entire body. Mara saw blood project out of his mouth, spattering across the monitors and dials of the chamber. Vader brought a breathing mask up to his face and let it pump oxygen into his lungs, relieving his pain and ending his coughing fit.

Mara felt like she'd seen too much and tried to back away discreetly, but her foot caught on a step and she fell backward with a loud "thump!".

Vader's head quickly snapped around, his eyes connecting with Mara's; and what she saw, shocked her deeply. From above the breathing mask, two yellowish eyes stared back at her, but for a split second, she did not recognize them as the eyes of a Sith. They were the eyes of someone with nothing left to lose. She could see pain and anger directed towards himself. In that split second, she saw a swirl of deep azure amidst the yellow of his irises; she could not help thinking back to the old Jedi she'd killed. They weren't the same eyes, but they shared something which Mara could not name.

And just like that, the split-second was over. Vader turned his head away, pressed a button on his control panel and closed the meditation chamber around him.

Mara stayed still for several seconds, before the pod reopened and Darth Vader reemerged, just as she'd always seen him before now, wearing his intimidating black helmet. He stalked up to her and spoke threateningly:

"You saw nothing."

Mara recognized the menace in his voice, but she found it had no effect on her. Before, she would have flinched or been stunned in fear; now she could only think of his grief-stricken eyes, and his words lost all their power.

"I saw everything." Mara replied evenly.

With that, she left the room at a measured pace, feeling Vader's glare behind her. She did not care; she had found her answer. Mara thought that knowledge would reassure her or give her confidence, but it only left her with more unanswered questions.

* * *

Obi-Wan paced the halls of the capital ship, deep in thought.

Luke was currently with Leia at Han's bedside. He had not pushed for details, but he'd gathered Han's injuries were not caused by his escape from the Empire's ambush. His Force presence, however, was strangely calm. Obi-Wan had his own ideas about who might have caused that, but he decided to leave it alone for now. Leia had enough to worry about already, and her private life was her own concern.

Obi-Wan's spirit lifted when he saw some familiar faces: two old Clones who somehow looked younger than when he'd last seen them. They had trimmed their hair in standard military fashion and had swapped their scraggly beards for clean-shaven looks.

"Good to see you again, general," Rex greeted with a precise salute, which Cody imitated. "Glad to see you back in one piece."

"Same to you, my friends," Obi-Wan replied, running his hand through his beard with a pensive smile. "I must admit these new looks are giving me déjà vu."

"Wish we could say the same about you, sir," Cody said with a smirk, eying the ponytail Obi-Wan now sported. "Never thought it was your style."

"It's an experiment for now," Obi-Wan replied cautiously. "We'll see if it sticks."

"I think it grants you a certain rugged quality, master." a female voice spoke from behind them, causing the three men to turn at once.

It was Ahsoka, looking as hopeful and strong as when she left, though her eyes let shine a newfound maturity and wisdom.

"Ahsoka!" Rex ran over and wrapped the young Togruta in a strong embrace, which she returned.

Cody approached them slowly, ahead of Obi-Wan. Just as he was about to speak, Ahsoka pulled him into her embrace with Rex, wrapping an arm around each of them.

"I'm so happy we are all together again." she said shakily, as she held back tears of joy.

Obi-Wan approached the three of them as they broke apart, and was quickly caught in his own fierce embrace by the young Jedi. She wrapped both arms tightly around his back and laid her head against his heart, listening to its slow, even rhythm. Obi-Wan gripped her head softly with his intact hand and did his best to cradle her back with what was left of his other.

"I felt you die, master," she said slowly. "I couldn't feel your presence. It was like you'd returned to the living Force, but then suddenly you came back."

"It was a strange and difficult journey," Obi-Wan replied softly. "I'm sorry for making you worry."

They both separated, now all forming a circle with Cody and Rex, enjoying the sight of all four of them being back together after so long.

"I hope that your return brings good news?" Obi-Wan asked with a hopeful smile, to which Ahsoka answered with a confident smirk.

"I've found it," she announced proudly. "The new base for the Rebel Alliance."

"Seriously?" Cody asked incredulously. "Where?"

"In the Anoat Sector," Ahsoka replied. "A planet called Hoth."

* * *

**POW!**

**And just like that, we find ourselves transitioning nice and smoothly to episode V in terms of the timeline (though everyone knows the timelines are pretty loose here ;)**

**What did you think? Han's explosive reaction, Mara's revelation to who Vader is, Luke learning about his mother… Liked it? Hated it? As long as its constructive, please let me know in a comment, or just to tell me if you like how the story is unfolding as a whole. It always brings a smile to my face to read your comments.**

**Please favorite and follow, and I'll see you in the next chapter! May the Force be with you!**


	19. Hot and Cold

**WEEEEELCOME BAAAACK! TO ANOTHER CHAPTER!**

**We are entering back into the familiar territory of episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. There will be the familiar setting and characters but all of it sprinkled with the surprise sauce of Obi-Wan being alive!**

**I'll leave you with this new chapter, just before I answer comments from chapter 18:**

**-RKF22: Yeah I felt like Han and Leia's connection just naturally felt like it should blossom earlier. That means that episode V will be different in terms of their relationship, since originally they bickered a lot.**

**I like the fact that Luke has more information about both his parents, while also backing Obi-Wan further into a corner by having to lie to Luke again.**

**I'm happy at how the character of Mara Jade is evolving. I had some apprehension at first since I was not very familiar with her character in cannon or legends, so I hope I was able to do her justice. **

**I'm glad that the way the narrative is structured now means that we can focus on what is going on for both sides, Rebel and Empire. I think it makes any reunion between both factions that much more impactful.**

**Thank you for your comment and may the Force be with you!**

**-Pink ranger 13: I certainly will ;)**

**Those are all the comments from the last chapter, so without further adodo, let's jump straight into chapter 19!**

**Enjoy, and please favorite, follow and comment!**

* * *

"My energy should be dedicated to this new battle station!" Tarkin barked suddenly, barely keeping his anger in check. "Wasting months on a foolish cat and mouse chase is a waste of my abilities."

"Your humility is striking, grand admiral," Thrawn spoke in his usual deep and unruffled tone, a ghost of a smile gracing his lips. "Since your abilities have yet to produce any leads on the Rebels, one must wonder what good they will do here."

"Mind your tone, you damn alien," Tarkin snapped back. The contempt in his voice was palpable. "I have no need for your clever slights."

While Thrawn kept his expression enigmatic, Mara sensed the brief change in his Force signature following Tarkin's insult. She could feel his resentment towards such an appellation. How it judged him on his physical appearance rather than his skills and accomplishments in service to the Empire. At another time, Mara would likely have interrupted Tarkin to take Thrawn's side, but the man sitting before them did it for her.

"Grand Admiral Tarkin, it is YOU who will mind your tone," the Emperor spoke deliberately, menace leering in every syllable. "This entitlement and superiority are becoming far too widespread amongst high-ranking human officers. Do not force me to make an example of you."

The silence that weighed over the room was suffocating, but its outcome was clear to everyone. Tarkin gave a subdued bow to the Emperor, trying to make his voice sound genuine and respectful despite the humiliation he had just endured.

"Forgive me, my Lord."

The Emperor said nothing. He simply turned his chair to gaze through the circular window behind him. Mara slowly took in the details of the dark and ominous room they were in. It was quite large, with a very high ceiling and a dangerous opening in the floor that led straight to the reactor of the station.

When she had approached the Death Star II in a shuttle alongside Tarkin and Thrawn, she had been surprised by how much had been built since she left. The Super Laser was still not fully operational; it still needed a dish to focus the energy rays into a single planet-destroying laser, but most of the essential infrastructure had been built: hangars, mess halls, living areas, training rooms, conference halls…

Mara thought she would be happy to see such swift progress, but it all left her strangely indifferent. She was impressed but knowing the station's ultimate purpose did not fill her with the same satisfaction as before.

She snapped out of her reverie when the Emperor turned his throne back around to face them. He let pass a few seconds of silence before speaking:

"Your failure is most displeasing," Palpatine stated simply. Mara, Tarkin and Thrawn understood the statement was addressed to all three of them equally. "First I assign my Hand her most important mission to date, and she simply passes it on to others under her command…"

Mara did not even think about disputing the accusation. Not only was there no convincing defense for her actions, but this was clearly not a platform for debate. The Emperor was speaking, and they were to listen; simple as that.

"Now if these subordinates had been successful, perhaps I would have overlooked it," Palpatine continued, purposefully shifting his gaze towards Tarkin and Thrawn. "However, they come no closer to finding the Rebel Fleet, or Kenobi, or his apprentice… After so many months, all you have to show for your efforts is one insignificant Rebel cruiser."

Mara discreetly glanced to her right to see how Thrawn and Tarkin were reacting. The latter had gotten visibly redder from anger and was reflexively clenching his fists and jaw, while Thrawn managed to maintain his immaculate poker face.

"I grow tired of such failures! However, you are in luck, for the tides will be changing soon," everyone perked up as soon as the Emperor said those words. A sadistic smile spread on his face as he spoke next, "Lord Vader has tracked the Rebels to the Anoat Sector. It is only a matter of time before he finds which planet they are on."

Mara's heart began thumping louder in her chest as she desperately tried to contain her excitement. Vader had nearly found them? How? Where? She tried to keep her Force signature neutral as the Emperor continued:

"Mara Jade and Grand Moff Thrawn will return to the _Executor_ and assist Lord Vader in the eradication of the Rebels under HIS direct orders," Mara gritted her teeth at that last part but pushed it out of her mind for now. "As for you, Grand Admiral Tarkin, you will remain here to oversee the final stages of this battle station's construction."

Mara knew that all of this sounded much too positive for three people who had just failed the Emperor. She was waiting for the caveat.

"I will not tolerate any more failures," the Emperor's tone was threatening, but he also spoke with a certain inevitability, as if everything he ordered would happen regardless of if they were alive or not. "We will crush the Rebels and Kenobi in whole fell swoop. His apprentice will be turned or he will die, and nothing will stand in our way! Am I clear?"

"Sir!" Thrawn, Tarkin, and Mara each replied simultaneously with a curt military salute.

The Emperor smiled maliciously and turned his throne to face back towards the window.

"Leave me alone with my Hand. I wish to speak to her."

Mara felt her stomach sink to the floor. She heard the distant echo of Tarkin and Thrawn's boots as they left for the elevator, before it was replaced with a heavy and oppressive silence. The Emperor's voice was like a needle slowly being stabbed into her skin:

"I sense you are… different. You are further from the Dark Side than when I sent you on your mission… This assignment will be a test to prove you are still worthy of my teachings... If not… you will die."

The inflection with which he pronounced that final word made her death sound like a logical and inevitable conclusion; that her life meant as little to him as the chair he sat on, or the robes on his back. Mara desperately focused on keeping her Force signature neutral as she replied:

"Yes, my Lord."

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed her. Mara moved as fast as she could towards the elevator without seeming suspicious. Every second she spent in his presence felt like it left an indelible mark on her soul.

* * *

_I hate this place._

"I hate this place."

Luke glanced up at Han's words and could not help smiling at how he'd said out loud what he had kept in his head. The old smuggler was savoring the warmth from a heating unit as they both got ready for their patrol.

Echo Base, as it had officially been called, had been set up on Hoth for several weeks, but due to the intense weather conditions, it had taken longer than expected to build a permanent settlement. Patrols needed to be done on Tauntauns, a species of bipedal lizards, since the intense cold rendered all vehicles useless. Until the Alliance's equipment could be properly adapted to the frigid temperatures, they needed to rely on other methods to keep the base functional.

"Cheer up, Han," Luke said with a smirk, giving his friend a good-natured nudge. "Apparently the technicians are nearly done weatherizing the T-47s. Our next patrol will be done from the cockpit of a speeder, just you wait."

Han let out a low grumble as he rubbed his mitted hands together over the heat stream. Every word he spoke released a cloud of steam.

"And say goodbye to these guys," Han said sarcastically, patting his Tauntaun who let out a contented gurgle. "Don't break my heart, kid."

Luke let out a short laugh as he finished putting on his snow gear. He and Han hitched up on their Tauntauns and slowly made their way towards the gigantic blast doors that separated Echo Base from Hoth's harsh, frigid landscape.

"How is it that the cold numbs all of my senses but I can still smell their stink?" Han groaned in defeat as he slipped on his snow goggles.

"At least you can track it easily if it runs away from you." Luke replied with a smirk as he did a final check of the route they were taking to place the last scanners.

"Very funny, kid." Han said with a derisive snort before spurring his Tauntaun, which carried him out of the base at a brisk canter.

Luke could not help smiling at his friend's newfound energy. He was still the Han he'd met with Obi-Wan on Tattooine: cocky, overzealous, slightly egotistical at times; but it was now tempered by a deep and profound commitment to his friends. He still acted the same but Luke could sense the difference, and he was glad that he and Leia were happy together.

As he put his protective goggles on, the Deck Officer approached him, holding a holopad.

"Heading out, commander Skywalker?" he asked.

"That's right, Tuyin. Han already left," Luke replied. "How are your brothers doing?"

"Just fine, sir," the young man answered with a shy smile. "We're all just so happy to be doing our part."

"Remember, you're all part of the Rebel Alliance now," Luke spoke deliberately, leaning over his Tauntaun to lock eyes with Tuyin. "I can sense you feel like you have to answer for being former Imperials. You don't. And anyone who tries to make you think that is wrong."

Tuyin was visibly taken aback by how easily Luke saw through him. He shook his head in disbelief as he checked some information on his holopad.

"You're starting to sound more and more like general Kenobi, sir."

"Speaking of which, do you know where he is?" Luke asked

"I believing he is training commanders Ezra and Ahsoka, sir."

Luke nodded before switching on his commlink:

"Echo Three to Echo Seven, comms check."

Luke waited a couple seconds before Han's voice replied:

"_Hear you loud and clear, kid. Now get out here so we can get this done before we freeze in place and become part of the scenery_."

Luke switched off his commlink and turned back towards Tuyin.

"See you later, Tuyin. Let's grab a drink tonight if you're free."

"That would be wonderful, sir." the young man replied quickly, his excitement clearly written on his features.

With that, Luke nudged his Tauntaun forward and it carried him out onto the frozen desolate plains of Hoth.

The cold assaulted him immediately. His entire body tensed up instinctively, his pores tightened up to preserve heat. He spurred his Tauntaun to get it to go faster as he followed the northern patrol route. Han, meanwhile, would take the southern one. They'd both place sensors along the way to monitor any incoming ships, meet up when their routes crossed and return to Echo Base together.

Luke performed his duty diligently, placing the sensors and keeping an eye out for any unusual activity. After about an hour he was done, which gave him plenty of time to meet up with Han and make it back to Echo base.

They needed to be careful about how much time they spent outside. Even with protective gear, the human body was unable to stay functional in this cold for more than two hours on Hoth once the sun sets.

Luke was about to contact Han when he sensed a sharp warning through the Force. Instantly, Luke reared his Tauntaun around and quickly scanned his surroundings. He could see nothing but the blinding whiteness of the snow swirling around him; no movement or sign of life. He tried to use the Force to sense anything unusual near him but he could not focus with the biting wind blowing in his face.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eyes, Luke saw a glowing streak in the sky. Just as he turned to see it clearly, it impacted the snow a couple hundred meters away from him, kicking up a jet of snow.

Luke dusted the snow off his communicator and opened a direct line to Han.

"Echo Three to Echo Seven. Han old buddy, you read me?"

"_Loud and clear, kid. What's up?"_

"Well I finished my circle, I don't pick up any life readings."

"_There isn't enough life on this ice cube to fill a space cruiser,_" Han snorted derisively. "_Sensors are placed, I'm going back._"

"Right, I'll see you shortly. There's a meteorite that hit the ground near here, I want to check it out. Won't take long."

Luke urged his Tauntaun towards the crash site of the meteor. As he got a couple meters closer, he made out a faint metallic whirring noise and some robotic chatter.

_That's no meteor_, Luke thought instantly.

He quickly dismounted his Tauntaun, unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and cautiously crawled up the side of the crater. As Luke peaked over the edge, he glimpsed a solid black metal body moving away from the crash site. He recognized its spidery legs and knew immediately what this meant.

"Echo Three to command," Luke spoke urgently into his communicator. "Just spotted an Imperial probe droid! There's a chance the Empire knows we're here!"

Luke did not wait for a response. He jumped over the edge of the crater, landed onto the hyperdrive pod the droid had traveled in and sprung off of it to land on top of the probe droid.

It whirred loudly in protest and desperately tried to throw Luke off, but he ignited his lightsaber and deftly plunged it through the droid's internal systems. It fell to the ground and Luke jumped off of it before quickly running for cover. As expected, the droid exploded, showering chunks of hot metal and giving Luke's Tauntaun quite a spook.

Luke hushed and tried to calm the beast down, but it continued neighing and pulling on the reigns, as if deathly afraid of something. Luke patted the animal and spoke gently to it:

"Steady, girl. Easy. What's the matter? You smell something?"

As Luke said those words, a split-second warning through the Force told him to duck. As he did, a giant white paw with razor-sharp claws swung just a few millimeters over his head and tore clean through the throat of his Tauntaun.

Luke swiftly backed away. He turned around to see a terrifying, three-meter-tall beast. It had stringy, mottled white fur and cavernous black eyes, along with two short cranial horns. It's hideously gory mouth tore a sickening chunk out of the Tauntaun's chest. The poor creature's body dropped limply to the ground.

Getting over his initial stupor, Luke reignited his lightsaber and, with blinding speed, cut off one of the beast's arms. It led out a deafening roar of pain, but Luke did not wait for it to finish. With one precise swing, he decapitated it and watched its headless body uselessly crumble into the snow.

Luke panted hard as he savored the adrenalin coursing through his system. The last minute had been strangely empowering and exhilarating. This had been his first time in actual combat, and the lifeless body of such an imposing beast brought Luke a surge of satisfaction.

Unfortunately, his high quickly faded and reality caught up to him. The reality that he was stranded in the middle of an empty frozen wasteland, with his only mode of transportation lying dead at his feet and a heavy snowstorm approaching, which would block any distress message he tried to send.

Luke cast a sad glance at the mangled body of his Tauntaun. Had it been less damaged, he might have been able to use the carcass for protection against the harsh winds, but in its current state, it was useless.

_Come on, this isn't the time to lose hope,_ Luke chided himself, tightening up his face mask. _I'm a Jedi. I don't feel fear._

With this bold mindset, Luke set out towards Echo Base. He remembered which direction it was in; the only problem was if he was going to reach in time before his entire body shutdown.

* * *

Obi-Wan silently scrutinized his students as they dueled with practice sabers. The Rebel technicians had finally been able to craft non-lethal lightsabers which granted more flexibility for combat training.

Ezra and Ahsoka were sweating and panting heavily even though they'd only started the duel a couple minutes ago. Wisps of steam emanated from their bodies since the room they were in was not fully heated, as was most of Echo base.

It had been decided, upon Obi-Wan and Luke's return to the fleet, that the remaining Jedi should no longer be in the same place. Galen Marek had offered to take the six remaining padawans to another branch of the Rebellion to continue their training. It had been decided that Kanan and the rest of the Ghost Crew would go with Galen, while Ezra and Ahsoka stayed on Hoth to continue their training with Obi-Wan.

Rahm's death had taken a significant toll on everyone's morale, but the appearance of his Force Ghost had helped the padawans move past their grief. Rahm helped Galen train his new students, and occasionally appeared on Hoth to see how Obi-Wan was progressing with his.

Ezra's skills were reaching the point where, under the old Jedi Order, he would have passed the Trials to become a Jedi Knight. Ahsoka's skills were significantly better than Ezra's but pairing them together meant that the latter would be challenged. Ahsoka would learn what it was like to mentor someone, and Obi-Wan would supervise them both as their master.

They were currently dueling, but they were each employing a new fighting style. Ezra, who was proficient in Form IV, or Ataru, was now learning Form III, or Soresu, a more defensive and non-aggressive style. Ahsoka, who had mastered Jar'Kai, a dual-wielding offshoot of Ataru, was now tackling the controversial Form VII, or Juyo.

Form VII had been widely considered a vicious and dangerous fighting style by many in the Jedi Order. It was feared that practitioners of Form VII would risk falling to the dark side. That was until Mace Windu developed his own variant, named Vapaad. It required incredible amounts of focus, training and composure, but Mace mastered it and was considered one of the most powerful Jedi to have ever lived.

Now, Ahsoka was developing her own variant of Form VII. Obi-Wan had done his best to teach her all he knew before letting her meditate and experiment on how to make this new form her own. It was a dangerous style to learn, but Obi-Wan trusted Ahsoka's abilities and knew she could resist the dark side's temptation.

Form VII was aggressive by nature which made it a perfect pairing for Ezra's defensive Form III. Their current duel was clearly in Ahsoka's favor, as she attacked relentlessly, forcing Ezra to remain on the defensive and leaving him unable to find an opening. Even though Ahsoka's Form VII variant was still in development, it remained quite formidable. Not to mention Ahsoka out-experienced Ezra by over a decade.

"Give yourself some space, Ezra," Obi-Wan shouted as he meticulously observed their movements. "Take time to find an opening and exploit it."

Ezra did not reply but he managed to dodge an overhead strike by Ahsoka and backflip away from her. They were now standing two meters apart, panting hard, steaming, their drips of sweat melting patches in the snow.

A small crowd had gathered around them to silently watch the fight, in awe at the stunning display before them. Obi-Wan had discussed it with Ezra and Ahsoka, and they had decided to allow spectators. It gave the troops a boost in morale and it showed them that the Jedi weren't just a mysterious order cloaked in secrecy; something that had often been criticized of the old Jedi Order.

The tension continued to rise as second after second, Ezra and Ahsoka simply stared each other down intensely. Obi-Wan could sense, and everyone else could see, that this would be the decisive blow.

Ezra attacked first, dashing with a low swipe to Ahsoka's legs. The young Togruta jumped up in the air to avoid the strike and a quick smile spread on Ezra's face. Obi-Wan could see it too: Ahsoka had much less control when she was in the air.

_Even though she has the high ground, it's still Ezra who has the upper hand_, Obi-Wan reflected.

"Bad move, Ahsoka." Ezra said confidently.

The old Jedi could see how Ezra might win this fight, but he also knew that Ahsoka was resourceful and that Form VII, by its nature, was unconventional. He was not disappointed by what he saw next.

As she hung in the air, Ahsoka suddenly threw one of her lightsabers at Ezra, forcing him to block it which prevented him from attacking. Now with only one lightsaber and back on the ground, Ahsoka threw her second lightsaber as she dashed towards Ezra with unnatural speed. The boy quickly parried it but before he could counterattack, Ahsoka was already on top of him.

With incredible dexterity and flexibility, she locked her legs around Ezra's body and linked an arm around his neck, while her other hand twisted his wrist to make him drop his lightsaber. Ahsoka and Ezra fell to the ground, the latter unable to move, and the former grinning wildly.

"I'd call that a GREAT move." she whispered mischievously in Ezra's ear.

The boy grumbled something in response but it was inaudible since his cheeks were compressed by Ahsoka's arm.

"The duel is over!" Obi-Wan announced. "Break apart and salute your opponent."

The room erupted into applause, cheering and clapping at the incredible display of skill.

Obi-Wan watched with pride as Ezra and Ahsoka got to their feet and bowed deeply to each other. Ezra was frustrated he had lost but he knew Ahsoka had won fair and square.

"It WAS a great move." Ezra acknowledged with a nod.

"I'm glad I was able to pull it off," Ahsoka said as she took a long drink from her water bottle. "Losing a fight because you no longer have a sword in your hand would be embarrassing."

The crowd that had gathered to watch the duel was slowly dispersing, some whispered about how impressive the fight was, while others paid off bets on who would win the duel.

Obi-Wan approached Ezra and Ahsoka and gave them an approving smile, recognition shining in his grey-blue eyes.

"You've both made incredible progress," he said. "I'm very impressed by how much your skills have developed."

"Well, we DO have the best teacher." Ezra said with a smirk.

"Don't let Master Yoda hear you. He gets jealous." Ahsoka added jokingly.

"Yes, you'd better be careful," Obi-Wan teased. "Those large ears aren't for nothing."

Obi-Wan could just picture Yoda sneezing or rolling around in his sleep on Dagobah.

"Make sure you rest well tonight," Obi-Wan added. "Tomorrow we'll be doing a group meditation with Luke."

"Sounds good."

"See you tomorrow, master."

Ezra and Ahsoka went to gather their belongings while Obi-Wan left them to head towards his quarters. He had a meeting with the Rebel High Command about necessary additions to Echo base and he wanted to go over some documents to prepare for it.

Just as he reached the door to his room, he felt a sharp warning through the Force. Someone was in trouble… Luke! _Luke is in trouble!_

Obi-Wan turned away from his quarters and ran in the direction of the main hangar. As he did, he felt another warning through the Force, however, this one was more ominous; a larger threat was approaching. Obi-Wan did not like what all this meant.

* * *

Vader was quietly staring at open space from the viewing windows on the bridge of the _Executor_. As usual, his mind was an impenetrable steel trap when Mara approached him alongside Thrawn. A silent agreement had passed between them that they would let Vader speak first.

The latter let pass a few seconds of silence before he spoke:

"When we find the Rebels, I will personally lead the ground assault. Thrawn, you will remain onboard the _Executor_ and prevent any ships from escaping."

Mara had to resist the urge to punch the back of his helmet for his clear omission of her role in the upcoming attack. Before she would have lost her temper and reacted violently, but now that she knew what really lied beneath the mask, she had no problem confronting Vader with a clear head.

"I can help you lead the ground assault, Lord Vader," she spoke as politely as she could. "Perhaps lead a separate squad to make sure no Rebels escape?"

Vader emphatically turned around, towering over Mara. The buzz of voices on the bridge had suddenly been replaced by a heavy silence as everyone held their breath at how he would react.

Mara could sense the clear warning in Vader's Force presence, but she stayed firm, eyes defiant.

"You will stay onboard the _Executor_," Vader spoke slowly and intensely. "The Emperor is already saddling me with the Inquisitorius, I do not need another distraction."

"With all due respect, sir," Mara could not believe she had said those words to Darth Vader of all people. "Considering the high amount of Force users in the Rebellion, would it not make sense to put forward ALL of our resources to make sure they are eliminated?"

"I have given my orders," the intensity in Vader's voice had reached a crescendo. "Are you challenging my command?"

Mara immediately recognized the veiled threat. It was the same tone he'd used in the training arena before he nearly killed her. All of Mara's common sense was telling her to drop it, that this was enough, but a persistent voice at the back of her mind told her not to give up. She borrowed a page from Thrawn's playbook and kept her face and voice as neutral as possible.

"No. I simply believe you are making a dangerous miscalculation that could cost this mission everything."

If it was somehow possible to have something even quieter than silence, Mara's statement created it. She could hear her own heartbeat and even Thrawn's because of how soundless the bridge had become.

She tried to read Vader's emotions, to determine his reaction, but all she felt was a blank, emotionless wall. She felt nothing until, for a split-second, she felt something; a faint trace of… respect?

Vader turned his body back around to face the windows and in an even voice said:

"You will lead the AT-AT ground assault."

Mara heaved an internal sigh of relief as the bridge's activity resumed. Over the chatter, someone shouted across the room:

"Lord Vader, one of our probe droids has found something. It was brief but it might be a Rebel settlement."

* * *

**AND DONE! DONE, DONE, DONE!**

**I can believe it took all those chapters to get from one movie to the next ;). Stuff has happened in the span between ep IV and ep V. We'll still be meeting the familiar faces we know and love but all with the added twist that comes with Obi-Wan being alive.**

**I still want to have the iconic scenes and dialogue moments that give you chills, but also want to add some fun twists and turns to try to add as many layers as possible to the story.**

**I can't wait for Yoda to join the story! I'm grinning from ear to ear at having that beloved green alien in the story, in person this time. I've been rewatching his scenes on Dagobah in ep V and God… I love him SOOOOOOOO much!**

**Alright, enough fanboying! Thank you so much for reading another chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. **

**STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT ONE AND PLEASE FAVORITE, FOLLOW AND COMMENT. IT REALLY HELPS ME OUT A LOT.**

**May the Force be with you!**


	20. We meet again

**I apologize for the delay! A lot of stuff was happening which I won't bore you with, just know that there is a new chapter for you all!**

**I'll answer comments and jump right into today's chapter:**

**-RKF22: Thank you very much! Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**-DarklighterUSA: I suppose that's just how I interpreted them in this story. I don't really see these character choices as mistakes, just deviations to help tell this particular story.**

**That's all the comments answered! Here's chapter 20, hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Mara silently watched the blue projection of Hoth on the holotable as Admiral Piett gave a briefing of the situation. She listened carefully to make sure she assimilated any key details; she would not fail this time.

"Based on our initial deep space scans, we have found important heat activities in this area," as Piett pointed to an area of the map which blinked red for reference. "We have also found several man-made structures such as a shield generator and an ion cannon, which would seem to indicate that the Rebels have considerable assets on the ground."

"It makes no difference how well equipped they are," Vader interrupted. "If we strike swiftly, they will not have time to stage a suitable counterattack."

"Of course, Lord Vader." Admiral Piett spoke with a quick bow. He did not wish to anger Lord Vader, especially considering how he'd received his current rank. It was, unfortunately, how most promotions were handed out under Vader's command.

"I would recommend a two-pronged-assault," Grand Admiral Thrawn noted as he observed the holomap. "While Mara Jade commands the AT-ATs in a frontal assault, Lord Vader can lead a strike team to infiltrate the base and block off any escape attempts."

"We will not be blocking any escape attempts, Grand Admiral. We will be eliminating all the Jedi inside that base!"

Everyone's gaze turned towards the person who had just spoken: The Grand Inquisitor. He looked even angrier and uptight than usual. The Pau'an male strode onto the bridge, followed by his four Inquisitors who waited behind him, trying to look threatening.

"The Emperor has just informed me that there are currently four Jedi on Hoth," the Grand Inquisitor continued. "We cannot let a single one of them escape. We must make them our utmost priority."

Mara tried to keep the contempt and loathing she felt towards him at bay, however, Vader wore it quite obviously. Piett made himself scarce, while Thrawn distractedly looked over the details of the holomap.

"**I **am commanding this operation," Vader kept his tone steady but the warning in it was clear. "You will follow my orders unless you wish me to remind you why it is you are still alive."

The tension in the room had reached its peak. Both men stood face to face, staring each other down. Finally, the Grand Inquisitor broke away with a knowing smile.

"That won't be necessary, Lord Vader," he said. "However, the Emperor has ordered that my Inquisitors and I are to accompany you during your attack. To ensure no Jedi escape, of course."

Vader kept his eyes fixed on him for several seconds, before turning away to face the holotable.

"Thrawn, prepare to jump to lightspeed and commence the attack," the Chiss nodded and stepped towards the front of the bridge to give his orders.

Vader began moving towards the exit, followed closely by the Grand Inquisitor who eyed him ominously. Just before he left, the Dark Lord leaned towards Mara and whispered menacingly:

"Do not fail me, girl."

Mara said nothing. She turned away and proceeded towards the central hangar of the _Executor_ where the AT-ATs were waiting. She will **not** fail her mission.

* * *

Obi-Wan was deep in thought, pacing back and forth in the main hangar. After not hearing back from Luke since his last transmission about finding an Imperial probe droid, Obi-Wan and Han had left to go look for him.

They'd found Luke nearly frozen to death, desperately marching towards Echo base. They'd managed to bring him back before nightfall and immediately placed him in a bacta tank. While Han and Leia stayed with Luke, Obi-Wan had called a meeting of the Rebel High Command to explain the situation.

They had decided the only safe option was to evacuate Echo base. The orders were given, and soon after, the entire base was buzzing with activity as everyone ran back and forth to carry out their specific duties. They had performed several practice drills in case an evacuation was necessary, so everyone knew exactly what to do and everything unfolded like clockwork. Obi-Wan just hoped they had acted fast enough.

As the old Jedi made his way to his quarters, he ran into Ahsoka, Ezra and Tuyin who were all discussing something with worried looks. They snapped to attention when Obi-Wan greeted him:

"Hello, general Kenobi." Tuyin spoke briskly, straightening up in a military salute.

"Hello, master." Ahsoka greeted with a nod, quickly replacing her look of concern with a casual smile.

"Hiya, master." Ezra said nonchalantly, also trying to play off his anxiousness with a more relaxed stance.

"You all seem a bit on edge," Obi-Wan decided to address the Bantha in the room rather than talk around the subject. "Does the upcoming battle worry you?"

All three looked at each other awkwardly, none particularly eager to talk first.

"I don't think we'll have enough time to evacuate everything and everyone, master," Ezra finally spoke up. "We're going to be forced to cut corners in the evacuation plans if we don't want to be annihilated."

"The Empire is going to throw everything they have at us," Ahsoka added. "They're so desperate to see the Rebellion destroyed they'd probably crash a Star Destroyer directly on top of us."

"And we'd barely begun to settle on Hoth," Tuyin jumped in to share his concerns. "How could they have found us so quickly? It feels like we're running out of places to hide from the Empire."

Obi-Wan waited several seconds for their anxiety and tension to slowly wane as he stroked his beard pensively. He could not argue with their logic. Their situation was indeed dire and it was hard to find a ray of hope in all of this.

"The Rebellion will survive. I promise you this," Obi-Wan spoke slowly, his voice brimming with confidence. "Do not let yourself be confused by the endless possibilities the future holds; focus only on what lies in the present. How we act today will determine the course of the galaxy. I need you to trust me, trust in the Force, and never stop fighting."

Tuyin, Ahsoka, and Ezra all looked at Obi-Wan with slight apprehension, not liking what he was implying. However, his words had struck a chord deep within them; they could see how strong and brave Obi-Wan was and they were inspired by his unyielding spirit.

Ahsoka remembered how his calm and steady presence had always felt like an anchor on the battlefield during the Clone Wars. Like an unwavering pillar that stayed strong despite the tumultuous winds of war. Obi-Wan's unrivaled charisma and strategic mind had been the deciding factor in many battles, but it was a double-edged sword; for if ever he were to fall, there was a chance that everyone who relied on him would lose hope.

Ahsoka could not help feeling that Obi-Wan was preparing them for such a situation and she did not like it.

"Master, what are you asking us to do?"

Ezra and Tuyin gave her confused looks, but Obi-Wan's blue-grey eyes held Ahsoka's sharp, accusing stare.

"I have felt the Force's call Ahsoka," he said simply. "I must face Anakin again."

Ahsoka's eyes widened in shock, as did Ezra's and Tuyin's, but Obi-Wan cut them off before they could start protesting.

"I've had a vision of this moment. It is something I must do. Alone"

"But master, you said yourself you could never kill him." Ezra protested.

"And that is still true."

"You don't mean you plan to… die." Tuyin said that last word with muted horror as if it irked him to even use that term.

"I never said that."

"Then what—" Ezra's question was interrupted by Obi-Wan placing a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Trust me, trust in the Force, and never stop fighting." Obi-Wan repeated, trying to make him understand.

He cast a meaningful look at each of them to make sure they understood. Ahsoka and Ezra dropped their head in resignation and sadness, while Tuyin simply nodded quickly and rushed off to carry out his evacuation orders.

Obi-Wan encircled both his students in a strong embrace, wrapping one arm around Ezra and what was left of his other over Ahsoka's back.

"It was an honor to be your master. You must now continue your training without me." he whispered.

Ahsoka and Ezra wordlessly returned his embrace, tightly gripping the hem of his brown Jedi cloak. They stayed strong, keeping their emotions under control as they shared this rare moment of intimacy. For those few seconds, the war, the Empire, the Sith, the Jedi, were all forgotten; in those few seconds, none of it mattered.

They were saying goodbye to a man whom they'd treated like a father figure, not just a master. They were forced to leave him, unsure if they would ever see him again. The pain welling up inside them was immense, but they let it dissolve into the Force, just like he'd taught them.

They parted without saying another word. Anything they said now would only make it more difficult.

* * *

Luke quickly put on his flight gear, doing his best to shake off the sluggishness he felt from his trip in the bacta tank. The Empire was starting its attack and he needed to get to his speeder.

After saying goodbye to the medical droid that had looked after him, Luke jogged towards Echo base's main hangar. He made a b-line for the _Millennium Faulcon_ and tried to keep the smile off his face as he saw Chewie and Han furiously arguing over what repairs needed to be made.

"We've been over this a hundred times, you big hairy lug! Twist it and pull it!" Han shouted in exasperation as he fumbled for the right wrench. "I don't want to be stuck here when the Empire arrives!"

"_You think I don't know that!_" the Wookie growled back. "_Why don't YOU come down and try it_."

Luke was about to intervene to keep the argument from escalating, but Leia beat him to it. She walked up to Chewbacca and spoke with exemplary diplomacy:

"I'll take care of it Chewie. Go inside and make sure all systems are running correctly."

The Wookie groaned gratefully before retreating inside the _Millennium Faulcon_, while Leia proceeded to fix what he had been working on. Han said nothing since he had already returned to his own repair job.

Luke quickly approached Leia who hugged him tightly.

"I'm so glad to see you back on your feet," she said. "Your command will be crucial to keep the Imperials at bay until we can get everyone evacuated."

"I'll buy you as much time as I can," Luke replied confidently. "Just make sure you, Han and Chewie all make it out safely."

Leia nodded slowly with a slight smile and happy twinkle in her eyes. Luke did not need to use the Force to know she was thinking about Han. Their connection was growing stronger as their feelings towards each other deepened, and Luke sent a silent prayer through the Force to not let the war disrupt their happiness.

"Do you know where Ben is?" Luke asked. "I haven't seen him since I woke up."

"He sent a communication saying he was going to repel the ground forces," Leia spoke worriedly. "He put Ahsoka and Ezra on the first transport off the base. I'm not sure why."

Luke did not like what he was hearing. He reached out through the Force to find Obi-Wan's Force presence and was disturbed to find he could sense it extremely clearly as if he was purposefully making his presence known to someone.

Just as Luke sense Obi-Wan's presence, another one suddenly came forth. A dark, ominous presence; a strangely familiar one that he'd felt before… months ago on the Death Star.

"Vader is here."

Leia kept her eyes fixed on Luke, quickly understanding he was being serious. A shiver ran down her spine at remembering how that monster had tortured her. She heaved a loud sigh and banished those thoughts as far out of her mind as she could.

"I have to go help Obi-Wan, he's in trouble." Luke was about to head out but Leia caught his arm, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Luke, please think about this clearly. If Obi-Wan is going to face Vader, we must trust that he has a plan. We cannot risk you getting captured or killed."

"Leia, he's my master. I have to fight by his side," Luke tried to break away from her, but her grip on him was strong. "Let go of me."

"Luke, please. Don't," the young padawan was taken back by the hurt and fear in her voice. "I've already lost so much... so many friends and allies in this endless war. Please, I don't want to lose any more people I care about."

Luke stopped struggling against Leia, relaxing his posture; calming his mind. _Patience_. That was what Obi-Wan had always insisted he learn. He had to trust him now, just as he had trusted him when they had first met and throughout his months of training.

Luke turned back towards Leia, giving her a confident smile.

"You're right. I'm sure Ben has a plan. He always does."

"Exactly," Leia spoke resolutely. "I'll finish directing the evacuation from here and leave on the _Faulcon_ once everyone is clear. You keep the Empire at bay for as long as possible."

"Roger that, general." Luke replied with a cocky smile and salute before jogging off towards his T-47 speeder.

* * *

Obi-Wan was relieved when he sensed Luke's Force signature moving away from him and out of the base to lead the air assault. He wanted to keep Luke as far away from here. It was still too early for him to face Vader; his training was not yet complete.

Obi-Wan had made his own Force presence overwhelmingly visible, to which Vader had responded by enhancing his own dark presence. They were like two animals: thumping their chest, making a show of strength before they fought.

However, Vader's Force signature was not the only Dark Side presence on Hoth. They were faint, but he could sense several others moving towards him as well, only they were doing their best to stay hidden.

He had a bad feeling about this, but he needed to focus on Vader for now, and hope these other Dark Side users did not interfere. However, there was one unknown Force presence which he was quite confused with. He did not recognize it and it seemed to neither exude the Light Side of the Force, nor the Dark. He knew this person was a Force user, but their Force signature was in a strange limbo.

_Very interesting_, Obi-Wan reflected, caressing his beard as per his habit.

A loud explosion, which dislodged clouds of snow from the walls of Echo Base, brought Obi-Wan back to the present. The Empire had broken in and were now swarming the interior of the base. Vader was bearing down on his location; they would soon be face to face.

Obi-Wan barely recognized his fallen apprentice's Force presence. He knew that physically he was most likely the same, but inside, it was like a completely different man. He could not find a trace of Anakin Skywalker, as he had when they last dueled on the Death Star.

_But he IS still there,_ Obi-Wan thought fervently. _He HAS to be!_

"So… we meet yet again; for the last time."

Obi-Wan cleared his mind and turned his eyes towards Vader, who stood several meters away from him, holding his unignited lightsaber in his hand. They stood in a large circular room which served as an intersection for several paths which burrowed all across Echo Base.

Obi-Wan kept his gaze on Vader as he let his presence disappear into the Force. The Dark Lord looked even more out of place against the pure white walls of Echo Base; his regular breathing echoed off of the domed ceiling.

"Anakin, remember what I told you," Obi-Wan spoke calmly, keeping his hands linked under the sleeves of his robes. "If you strike me down I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

Obi-Wan tried not to think about how similar this encounter was to the first one they'd had on the Death Star. How they'd both gravitated towards each other, had said the same things to each other; in one place Vader's silhouette had blended into the environment, but now it stood out like a blemish.

Were they destined to do this forever? Repeat the cycle until one of them fell? Mustafar, the Death Star and now Hoth… Would there be another?

_No!_ Obi-Wan refocused his thoughts. _Anakin __**can**__ we saved, and he __**will**__ be saved. Only, not by me._

Vader had begun to pace around the perimeter of the room, to which Obi-Wan responded by turning in the same direction to stay face to face.

The old master tried to sense his fallen apprentice's emotions but was startled to find he felt nothing. It was like trying to find meaning in a blank piece of paper. What Obi-Wan could sense was how much his power had grown. It was far beyond what it had been when they'd last met. Obi-Wan had grown more powerful too since then but he felt it might not be enough against the much younger _Chosen One_.

"You were always so conceited about the Jedi's power," Darth Vader spoke derisively. "I have experienced _true _power. Beyond anything you could possibly imagine. I have gone beyond your training, and the Emperor's."

Obi-Wan was about to respond until Vader revealed his true power. A low distant rumbling grew in intensity, shaking the floor below them and the snow on the ceiling. Obi-Wan was petrified. He watched in horror as dark figures seemed to lurk behind and around Vader, spilling black smoke coils over his shoulders, blending in with his dark suit… some seemed to be holding red lightsabers…

Obi-Wan quickly regained his senses and swiftly put up his Force shields. The "apparitions" disappeared, but their effect on him seemed to remain. Every muscle in his body felt tense and aching; his breath was short… _What was that? How is it possible?_

Obi-Wan tried to refocus on Vader's Force presence. While before he had been unable to sense Anakin Skywalker, now he could no longer sense Darth Vader. It was indescribable. Unlike anything he'd ever felt before; more powerful than anything he'd ever encountered.

"Anakin what have you done?" Obi-Wan pleaded. "This power is not worth the sacrifice of living with these… demons."

"They have shown me what true power is, Obi-Wan," Vader replied, his voice gaining a noticeably aggressive edge. "They are beyond what the Jedi or Sith could have given me."

Obi-Wan wanted to respond but he stopped himself. Getting sucked into an argument with Vader was not to his advantage. He needed his actions to speak for him.

Vader had gained great power? Well so had Obi-Wan. It did not matter which was more powerful, the old master would pick _his _allies over those demons any day.

_I am one with the Force and the Force is with me_, Obi-Wan recited, focusing his body, his mind, and his heart. _Jedi and allies now gone, lend me your strength._

Obi-Wan felt an immense swell of power within his body and all around him. He felt like he had the strength of a thousand men, which was true. He was them, and they were him: he was the Force.

Obi-Wan saw how Vader flinched and his Force presence faltered slightly as he observed his former master.

"Who do you see beside me, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked calmly. "They are part of the Living Force but they have granted me their power to face you."

"Your _power_ is insignificant!" Vader shouted, igniting his crimson blade. "I AM ALL THE SITH!"

"And I am all the Jedi." Obi-Wan answered with unruffled intensity, igniting his azure blade.

The clash of swords followed less than a second later, sending shockwaves throughout the corridors of the base. Their blades were blurs of red and blue which occasionally paused when they caught against each other.

They could each see the shining dots, showing their opponents weakness, connected by the cosmic thread that guided their weapons; but it was as if that thread always led them to the same place. No matter how they feinted, parried or dodged, their blades were always drawn back together. Unable to outmatch their opponent, since they were equally matched. All the Sith against all the Jedi: perfectly balanced.

The victor would be the one who could keep a hold on this power the longest, and Obi-Wan knew without a doubt Vader far outmatched him in terms of endurance. Eventually, the old Jedi's age would catch up to him, his power would slowly leave him and his opponent would find his opening. The ending was clear. Inevitable, or so it seemed.

Suddenly, Vader and Obi-Wan simultaneously broke away from each other to parry away red spinning lightsabers that had been thrown at each of their backs. They both watched as the sabers returned to their owners: two Inquisitors; each standing at one of the tunnel junctions.

Obi-Wan and Vader kept an unwavering eye on them, all while keeping each other in their field of view. Neither of them seemed to know what was going on.

"My, my, what a display," a low, sardonic voice echoed down one of the five tunnels of the intersection. "You truly are Sith and Jedi Masters."

The Grand Inquisitor emerged from the shadows of the tunnel, sporting a derisive smirk and holding his ignited spinning saber. As he stepped forward, two more Inquisitors appeared to block the remaining tunnels, leaving no escape route.

Obi-Wan and Vader were now surrounded by five Inquisitors, but the worrying detail was that they seemed hostile towards them both.

"What are you playing at, worm?" Vader growled, turning the intensity of his power towards the Grand Inquisitor. "You dare interfere? You cannot hope to defeat me!"

Obi-Wan watched as the Grand Inquisitor casually walked closer to Vader, seemingly unaffected by the dark presences that had left Obi-Wan motionless. The tall Pau'an merely smirked ironically, his words venomous like a snake:

"You are a fool, Lord Vader. You believe this power belongs to you. That you are worthy of it. This power chooses the strongest; it changes hands as it sees fit, as long as it sides with the victors."

The Grand Inquisitor held his palm out towards Vader and spoke:

"You, are no longer worthy."

Obi-Wan watched in disbelief as the dark presences left Vader's body and flew towards the Grand Inquisitor's palm, coiling around his shoulders and torso. His yellow eyes seemed to glow with even more malicious intensity; his Force presence became something else entirely.

Obi-Wan sensed Vader's Force presence returning to something more familiar, as the Dark Lord sunk down on one knee, exhausted from having been drained of such immense power. The hatred seething in Vader's soul was palpable.

"You dare to challenge me?" he growled out, rising up to his feet and pointing his lightsaber at the Grand Inquisitor. "I will destroy you."

"You will certainly try," the Inquisitor replied maniacally, angling his own saber towards Vader. "Kill the Jedi! Leave Vader to me."

As soon as he spoke, the four other Inquisitors all charged Obi-Wan in a coordinated attack to encircle him. The old Jedi shook off his weakening body and prepared for their attack, making sure to focus on the shining dots that would guide his attacks.

The first attack he sensed was coming from behind. Without looking, Obi-Wan raised his saber to block a swing aimed at his back. Seeing that this left his front exposed, two Inquisitors stabbed simultaneously towards his midsection in the hopes of skewering him. Instead of trying to block or dodge the attack, Obi-Wan backed away, flipping his first attacker into the path of the other two. Their blades pierced his gut, killing him instantly. They were now four against one, and Obi-Wan had yet to land a single strike.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the duel between Vader and the Grand Inquisitor. The latter was clearly toying with him. Their power difference was night and day, but Vader continued to obstinately throw heavy attacks at the Grand Inquisitor, which he dodged easily.

Obi-Wan refocused on his own fight. The four Inquisitors were keeping their distance from him now, having seen how deadly this old Jedi was. He could see their looks of apprehension and fear as they stared at whatever figures were standing by his side. Obi-Wan could only wonder who they were… Mace Windu? Plo Koon? Ki-Adi-Mundi? Perhaps… Padmé?

In any event, Obi-Wan decided now was the best time to press his advantage. His muscles were screaming in protest and the edges of his vision were starting to blur. He needed to end this soon before he burned out completely.

Taking a page from Ahsoka's book, Obi-Wan threw his lightsaber at the Inquisitors and charged towards them. Using the Force, he manipulated his weapon through the air to force them on the defensive and prevent them from attacking his back.

In one smooth uninterrupted motion, Obi-Wan swept the legs out from under an Inquisitor and Force pushed another one with such Force it cracked the ice wall he slammed into. As he summoned his saber back to his hand, he saw the shining dot glow on the neck of the fallen Inquisitor. In one clean swing he decapitated him, leaving only two to deal with.

Obi-Wan's eyesight was nearly reduced to a tunnel; so much of his vision was dark and blurry. He could feel the blood pounding in his ears; the heavy breaths he drew in over and over. Drops of sweat slid down his chin and nose; his skin felt red hot and every muscle tissue in his body was begging for relief.

_No! Not yet! I need to finish this! Let me save him!_

_We are with you Obi-Wan. Our power is yours: use it._

Obi-Wan swore he'd heard Padme's voice speaking back to him. He felt a second wave of energy coursing through his body. The pain in his muscles lessened and his vision cleared, just in time for him to block two red lightsabers aimed straight at his head.

The two Inquisitors had attacked at the same time and were now pushing down on Obi-Wan's saber with their own. They put all their strength and bodyweight down onto their lightsaber to break the old master's defense, but Obi-Wan held strong.

_I WILL save him!_

Gathering all the power he had left, Obi-Wan concentrated on a powerful Force push which he unleashed underneath the Inquisitors. They flew into the ceiling at incredible speed, which shattered many of their bones as well as the ice above them. Obi-Wan quickly rolled out of the way as their limp bodies were buried under several feet of snow that caved into the room.

Obi-Wan heaved a small sigh of relief until his body caught up with him. Everything around him began to spin; his mind was in complete disarray, unable to focus on lifting his arm or extinguishing his lightsaber. He was seconds away from blacking out but something kept him on the brink. An almost imperceptible pull through the Force…

_Anakin!_

The Grand Inquisitor had grown tired of playing with Vader. With one emphatic swing he cut the Dark Lord's lightsaber in half, just above the hilt and reached out to grip Vader's neck in a Force choke.

The Grand Inquisitor towered over Vader who desperately clawed and groaned for air, kneeling at his feet.

"I will be sure to remember this," the Grand Inquisitor spoke with a mix of whimsy and cruel malice. "Goodbye… Lord Vader."

The Grand Inquisitor raised his double-ended lightsaber over his head, ready to split Vader's head open. As he was about to strike, his eyes suddenly widened in horror and disbelief. He looked down in dismay at the blue lightsaber blade that had sprouted from his chest.

Obi-Wan had summoned whatever energy he had left for this final attack, but now he truly was at the end of his rope. As the Grand Inquisitor's body dropped dead into the snow, Obi-Wan passed out, falling face-first towards the ground, only for Vader to catch him and ease him onto his knee.

Obi-Wan was only able to send one last errant thought through the Force:

_Luke… You must go to the Dagobah system… There you will learn from Yoda… the Jedi master who instructed me…_

Vader silently watched over his former master's unconscious body, his eyes roaming over his severed arm, unruly hair and scarred face. It seemed that no matter how much he changed, Obi-Wan would always remain his master. And Vader, for the life of him, could not understand why.


	21. Flirting with Danger

**Hello everyone! I hope everyone is healthy and staying inside their homes to prevent the spread of that nasty coronavirus.**

**In all seriousness, please do not take this pandemic lightly. I know it is a heavy burden to place on your daily lives but the instructions given by health experts is for our own safety. The sooner and more efficiently we put these measures into effect, the sooner we can get through this crisis and return to our regular lives.**

**Alright, my PSA is done. Let me answer the comments from the last chapter and then I'll leave you alone with this one:**

**-SWfan: it really is just that simple huh? Alrighty then…**

**-Kreuse: although I do wish the new trilogy could be gone from my memory. In the end, I feel it did more harm than good.**

**-RKF22: yeah Obi-Wan is really putting himself on the line for this Anakin fellow :) Hopefully, he returns the favor soon ;). May the Force be with you.**

**-Isolda: Thank you so much! Glad you found the fight engaging. Badass Obi-Wan is also my favorite. It's fun when he's clever and witty, but he also knows how to handle business :) Just reread chapter 9 and hopefully, you'll find the answer to your question ;)**

**-SpencerBrown: Thank you very much! It's also satisfying for me when all the puzzle pieces fall into place. It's a tough balance to strike between straying off the beaten path while still hitting those familiar story beats we're all familiar with. Glad to hear you liked it. **

**I'm really excited to move into this next part of the story since it will involve several dynamics which I'm raring to explore, especially concerning Luke and Obi-Wan.**

**I hope you enjoy this new chapter and where the stories goes as a whole.**

**Well, those are all the comments for this time. Therefore, I suggest we move straight to the main attraction.**

**Also, if you want to hear my recommendation for an excellent film classic you should definitely watch, stick around till the end.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"That armor's too strong for blasters!" Luke shouted over the comms as he broke off his attack run.

The Empire's AT-ATs were decimating the Rebel Alliance's ground troops, and Luke's squadron of speeders was not faring any better. The walkers were powering through their lines unimpeded. They had already managed to destroy the shield generator and would soon be within range to shoot down the evacuating ships unless Luke found a way to stop them.

_Come on, think!_ Luke thought in frustration. _They must have a weakness…_

Luke could no longer rely on Deck, his copilot. He'd been knocked unconscious by a stray Imperial shot that hit the back of their speeder.

Luke did a flyover near one the walkers, keeping his eye out for any weakness he could exploit. What jumped out at him was not something he saw but rather something he sensed. He could feel the faintest Force presence onboard the lead walker, which meant a Force user was leading the attack.

This ignited a fire in Luke's gut. He would not let a Dark Side user, or whoever this person was, put his friends in danger. As he felt his anger rising, he noticed one of the walker's feet bump into a large rock and precariously wobble on its legs, seeming dangerously close to falling over.

_That's it! The legs! We can trip them up!_

"Wedge! Prep your harpoons and tow cables. I've got a plan." Luke called over the comms, turning his ship around for another attack run.

"_I'm right with you, Luke,_" Wedge replied, pulling his speeder up alongside his. "_What are we aiming for?_"

"Aim for the legs and wrap it around several times to trip it up. It might be our only chance to stop them."

"_That sounds like one of your plans._" Wedge replied humorously.

Luke did his best to lay down suppressing fire on the walker and turn its attention on him so Wedge and his copilot could land the shot. Luke pushed his speeder for all it was worth as he narrowly avoided the barrage of lasers from the AT-AT.

When Luke saw the harpoon hit its mark, he pulled away to give Wedge some room to wrap his line around. Luke watched as he looped several times around the walker, detached the cable and flew off to a safe distance.

As the AT-AT tried to take another step forward, its legs got caught up in the wire. Luke grinned from ear to ear as the gigantic mass of metal slowly fell forward and crashed uselessly into the snow.

"All right! Good work, Wedge!" Luke called out over the comms. "Rogue 2 and Rogue 3 form up in attack pattern Delta and take out the other walker. Keep the lead one for last."

"_Copy Gold Leader._"

Luke could not contain his excitement at having managed to exploit a weakness in the AT-ATs. He hated that he was not as useful in this fight as he could be since his copilot was down, but he could still offer support to the other speeders.

"_Luke watch out!_"

The young Jedi snapped out of his thoughts just in time to swerve his speeder out of the way of an incoming laser barrage. He was able to keep them from hitting his cockpit but instead, they wrecked his left wing which sent him into a nosedive. Thankfully, the snow he crashed into was soft, which prevented any serious injuries.

While the wreck had been softer than expected, Luke quickly realized it was the least of his worries. The lead AT-AT was bearing down on him at an alarming speed. He needed to move right now before he got crushed.

Luke quickly unbuckled his safety harnesses and tried to open the cockpit, but it stopped halfway, no doubt having been damaged from the crash. Luke had enough space to squeeze out but that would mean leaving Deck behind to be crushed, and there was no way he would allow that.

He desperately pounded against the glass, trying to break it but nothing happened. The AT-AT continued to get closer. Luke felt tension and fear welling up in the pit of his stomach; he felt a strange rush of power within him that simply demanded to be released. The AT-AT was only a couple of meters away.

With a roar of desperation, Luke unleashed a violent Force wave that sent the entire canopy flying several feet in the air. As the power within him diminished slightly, Luke quickly unbuckled Deck from his seat and lifted him onto his shoulder. He just had time to grab a harpoon gun from the speeder before jumping out of the way of the incoming foot of the AT-AT.

As his speeder was crushed to pieces, Luke quickly checked Deck's pulse and was glad to feel it beating strongly. He dragged his copilot several meters away to keep him out of danger before turning back towards the hulking metal vehicle before him.

_This is where the fun begins._

* * *

Mara was annoyed with how the attack was progressing. Their main goal of destroying the shield generator had been achieved, however, their progress was being impeded by the maneuverable speeders the Rebels used.

They had already destroyed one AT-AT and were now trying to pull the same move on another one. Mara gave the order to march the AT-ATs at full speed and increase their firepower to destroy everything before them. Moving more quickly meant there was more risk of falling over if they hit an obstacle, but Mara decided it was necessary.

"Commander, we have a downed speeder in our path."

Mara looked through the window at the front of the AT-AT and saw the small orange figure of a Rebel pilot desperately trying to extricate himself from his speeder.

"Then go through it." Mara replied with an impatient shrug.

She watched as the walker got closer and closer to the downed speeder, but was taken back when she sensed a ripple through the Force and the roof of the cockpit was sent shooting up into the air. The pilot was able to wriggle out of the wreck with his copilot and move out of the way before the AT-AT destroyed his speeder.

_Could it be him… Skywalker's son?_

"Commander! He's climbing up the undercarriage!"

Mara pushed the Snowtrooper out of the way to look at the monitor which displayed the underside of the AT-AT. She saw the pilot dangling from a grapnel rope and using a blue lightsaber to cut a hole an opening in the hull of the walker.

Mara did not have time to process his actions when she saw him holding a small cylinder which he threw inside the AT-AT. Mara barely had time to open the top hatch with the Force and jump out before the entire walker blew up in a massive fireball.

The snow cushioned her fall as she rolled and tumbled through it after jumping from the top of the AT-AT. Mara shook off her blurry vision and the buzzing in her ears, and focused her senses to find this Force user.

She did not have to look far. Just as she had sensed him, Luke had sensed her also. He stood beside the burning carcass of the AT-AT, gripping his unignited lightsaber. Mara was unable to definitively quantify his Force presence; not because he was disguising it, more like it was incomplete.

_He has potential, but he is still in training_, Mara reflected cautiously.

She made sure to keep her own presence concealed to avoid tipping him off. Mara walked up to him casually, keeping her own lightsaber on her belt. Luke pulled his helmet off his head and threw it aside, revealing his short blond locks.

_And handsome too_, Mara noted with a smirk.

"Who are you?" Luke asked, trying to keep his nerves under control.

"It matters not who I am," she replied matter-of-factly. "But I know who you are: Skywalker."

Luke did his best to keep the surprise of his face but it wasn't much use. Somehow, this woman knew who he was, which meant the Empire had made him a target. He enjoyed the idea of being a thorn in the Empire's side but he had yet to actually fight another Force user in a life or death duel.

"Are you scared?" Mara asked, taking a few steps towards him. "I can feel your anxiety. Your fear… your anger."

"You don't know anything about me," Luke ground out, trying to keep his voice and Force presence under control. "I don't fear you."

"Perhaps not," Mara mused, pacing around him so that the AT-AT was now behind him. "But you _are_ angry. Angry not to be more powerful; of not having been fully trained. You are unsure if you can defeat me…"

Luke could not tolerate her goading any longer. He ignited his father's lightsaber and dropped into the Makashi stance of lightsaber combat. For now, his fighting skills had been focused on rehearsing the fundamentals. He had yet to choose and develop his own style since he had needed to learn skills that younglings would normally assimilate over several years.

Mara picked up on this but before she could provoke him on it, they both froze as they sensed a distant tremor in the Force. Two presences were warping the Living Force around them, creating a rift between the dark and the light.

Neither Luke nor Mara could understand what was happening, but they did recognize the Force presences of Vader and Obi-Wan. Sensing that his master was giving his all in his duel against Vader filled Luke with confidence; he could not allow himself to lose this fight.

He charged towards Mara who quickly turned back to face him and ignited her magenta blade to block his. Luke jumped back and focused on delivering a Force push. Unfortunately, it was seriously lacking in power and only kicked up a cloud of snow which Mara brushed aside with a wave of her arm.

"Your powers are weak, Skywalker," she taunted. "You are like a child trying to run before he's learned how to walk."

She riposted with her own Force push which blinded Luke in a tornado of freezing snow pellets. He could not gather his bearings as the violent winds flung him in all directions. He was able to feel a nudge through the Force just fast enough to block Mara's blade as it was about to slice him in half.

Luke pushed her back and followed up with a series of sweeping two-handed swings which Mara parried and blocked easily. She reposted with a sharp jab towards his chest. Luke twisted his body like a corkscrew, narrowly avoiding the blade and stumbling back several feet.

Inside Echo base, they could sense the two abnormal Force presences growing weaker and weaker. They were reaching the end of their duel, and although he hated to admit it, Luke was reaching the end of his. He could not think of a way to gain an advantage; he was not strong enough, and it infuriated him beyond measure.

"I can feel your anger," Mara spoke sardonically, pacing around Luke like a panther. "Your hatred towards me is strong… Give in to it. It is the only way to defeat me."

Luke was panting hard, trying to think of a way out. He reached behind his back with his free hand and quickly brought out his blaster, firing two shots at Mara.

The action surprised her but she was able to block and deflect the attack, sending one of the blaster bolts back to Luke's blaster, knocking it out of his hand.

"You are pathetic, Jedi," Mara snarled, unleashing a Force push that sent Luke crashing against the body of the AT-AT. "You shun what gives you power and believe you are superior to us. But feel it now… feel how your master will fall to the Dark Side's might."

_What is she talking about… wait… Obi-Wan!_

Luke could sense his master's Force presence growing weaker. It had gained in intensity all of a sudden but now it was slowly disappearing. The strong Dark Side presence was gone, but Luke could still sense Vader. What was happening?

_No… it can't be… he can't be…_

Luke desperately tried to keep his thoughts in order as he rose to his feet; ears ringing and a cut on his forehead bleeding into his eye. He tried to reach out to Ben, to sense where he was and what was happening.

All he received were distant words through the Force, spoken in Obi-Wan's deep baritone:

_Luke… You must go to the Dagobah system… There you will learn from Yoda… the Jedi Master who instructed me…_

And then, Obi-Wan presence disappeared completely. There was not a trace of him that Luke could sense. It was like he was…

_No… no, no, NO!_

Luke felt a searing and twisting feeling in his gut, an accumulation of power he could feel mounting inside him.

_Obi-Wan is dead? No! It can't be…_

Luke felt like every muscle in his body was pulsating, brimming with energy. His vision was sharp, though one of his eyes was stained red with the blood from the cut on his forehead. Luke did not care. He felt powerful.

His eyes fell on Mara, who stared back at him in disbelief. A mounting rage began to fill Luke's thoughts. It was her fault. It was because of her that Obi-Wan was gone.

_I will make her pay!_

Luke gathered the brimming energy inside him and dashed towards Mara, angling his lightsaber for a two-handed strike aimed at her head. She was fast enough to block it, but she did not anticipate the power behind the attack. It nearly broke her defense and sent a shockwave through her bones.

Before she could recover, Luke kicked her in the stomach, sending her tumbling over a mound of snow. She rolled over onto her back and desperately tried to get back on her feet. The wind had been knocked out of her and as she tried to catch her breath it was suddenly halted by an invisible hand gripping around her neck.

As she gasped for air, Mara felt her body being lifted off the ground. She could see Luke making his way towards her, holding up his clenched fist. His gaze was cold and empty, tinged with red and yellow.

Mara's own vision began to tunnel, as her body began to shut down from lack of oxygen.

_Is this how I die? My body abandoned in a frigid landscape to be covered by snow? Damn it. What a way to go…_

Just as Mara was about to lose consciousness, she felt the grip on her neck loosen. Through her foggy vision, she saw Luke standing in front of her, his hand still extended, but his eyes seemed to be in some sort of trance.

Then suddenly, the grip around her neck disappeared and she crashed to the ground. Mara gasped and retched as she breathed in the frigid air, trying to control herself so as not to get frostbite in her lungs.

She shot a glance at Luke who stared back at her with a look she never would have expected. The young man looked ashamed and remorseful. Before Mara could react, a Rebel X-Wing flew over them, landing just beyond the snow mound, next to the fallen AT-AT.

Mara watched as Luke slowly walked towards it, and just as he neared the top of the mound, he looked back towards her and spoke. She could not hear his voice, but his lips spelled the words: "I'm sorry".

With that, he moved out of sight, and a couple seconds later, the X-Wing lifted up into the sky and jetted off into the stratosphere.

Mara eased her head back against the snow. She was frustrated to have been defeated, but she did not feel it had all been a loss. There had been some good to come of all of this; she just wasn't sure what was the good news and what was the bad.

* * *

"Princess!" Han shouted into his communicator so she could hear him over the blaster fire. "If we could take off now that would great. In case we don't want to die, I mean."

"_Not helping, Han._" the princess yelled back over the comms.

Han and Chewie were doing their best to keep the swarming Snowtroopers at bay from the undercarriage of the _Faulcon._ Thankfully the automated turrets had disabled the larger Imperial weapons that could have damaged their ship. However, now they had to fend off the individual soldiers that were turning up in greater and greater numbers.

"_Do you have any idea where the droids are?_" Chewbacca growled to his friend before firing a plasma-charged quarrel from his bowcaster which sent a Snowtrooper flying several feet back.

"Chewie, I must admit droids aren't really my priority at the moment," Han ground out as he narrowly dodged enemy fire. "We can't afford to wait for them."

"_Luke and Leia won't be happy if you abandon their droids_." Chewbacca mentioned nonchalantly, which had the desired effect of riling up the smuggler.

"Look here, fuzzball. Just because me and the princess are… close doesn't mean I'm risking my life to rescue some stupid droid." Han shouted over noise before chucking his last thermal detonators at a group of Snowtroopers.

Just as it exploded, Han and Chewbacca felt the Faulcon come to life under their feet and lift a couple of inches off the ground.

"_I got it!_" Leia called out excitedly over the comms. "_Are R2 and 3PO onboard yet?_"

Chewbacca tried to stifle his loud howls of laugher as Han massaged his temple in slow circular movements, firing a shot without even looking, which somehow hit its mark. Just as Han was about to politely break the news to the princess, Chewbacca directed his attention towards two approaching figures.

"Wait for us!" C3-PO's alarmed and frantic voice rang out from the other side of the hangar. "We're coming!"

He and R2-D2 were weaving through the conflict, heading straight for the _Millenium Faulcon_. The Snowtroopers around them were disregarding them completely as targets, preferring to focus on the ace-shooting smuggler and Wookie.

"_You really need to loosen up those joints_," R2 beeped sarcastically as he zipped ahead of his friend. "_Those legs are not meant for anything beyond a brisk walk._"

"I am a protocol droid, you foolish lug," 3PO retorted in disbelief. "I was not built for combat, and as a matter of fact, neither were you!"

"_Maybe, but at least I can do this_." R2 chirped before activating his thrusters and flying high into the air. Han, Chewie, and 3PO watched in disbelief as R2 sprayed his oil reserve onto the Snowtroopers below him.

As the latter incredulously watched their crisp white armors being stained by the dark liquid, R2 performed a quick fly-by, igniting the oil with his rocket boosters and setting them ablaze.

The little droid quickly returned to his gold-plated friend who was about to reply but was cut short when his foot went straight through a weak patch in the ice which he sunk in up to his waist.

"Oh goodness, I'm stuck," 3PO exclaimed. "R2, you must help me."

Alarmed by his friend's situation, not helped by the fact the Imperials were now directing some of their fire at him, R2 quickly moved up to 3PO who wrapped his arms around his frame. The astromech pushed his motors for all they were worth but it was no use, 3PO's legs were still stuck, and the Snowtroopers were closing in.

"Oh this is a fine mess you've gotten us into this time," 3PO lamented. "You just could not help showing off, could you?"

R2 turned his domed head all around, scanning the area around him for a solution. His friend was right, this was his fault, and he needed to find a way to fix it. He tried to remember everything he'd learned from watching his masters solve problems: Obi-Wan, Luke, and of course, Anakin. It was the latter who'd most encouraged his outside the box thinking.

R2 desperately looked for a solution, just as he felt a blaster round ding the top of his dome. The enemy was getting closer… he was running out of time.

"Just leave me here R2," 3PO's voice brought the blue astromech's attention back towards him. "We are putting the lives of princess Leia and her friends at risk. You must let me go and get out of here."

"_No. Never!_" the little droid replied heatedly. "_I am not leaving you here. I'll find a way_."

R2 watched in horror as an Imperial blaster bolt went clean through C3-PO's arm, severing it from his body. Another shot hit his midsection, causing the protocol droid's eyes to flash on and off; his voice sounded distorted.

"Don't let your pride get us both killed," 3PO spoke gravely. "Protect our friends. Go!"

"_You ARE my friend, damn you!_" R2 snapped back harshly. "_I will NEVER leave you._"

R2 could no longer think. His components were overheating; he was unable to process anything clearly. He prepared for the final shot that would put an end to his existence. All in all, he'd had a good run. He'd survived an entire galactic conflict and had been fortunate enough to serve the greatest Jedi who ever lived. He only wished he had been able to serve his current master in the same way…

"Incoming!"

R2 barely had time to register the voice that a loud explosion shook the entire hangar, knocking clumps of snow out from the rafters. As he and C3-PO looked towards the voice, they saw Han rushing towards them while Chewbacca dropped a heavy rocket launcher and ran towards them.

The smuggler took cover behind R2's body and proceeded to pick off the remaining Snowtroopers.

"You're both tough, I'll give you that," Han said with a smile. "Get yourself to an X-Wing, R2. We'll get 3PO."

R2 turned his view towards the protocol droid who merely motioned for him to go just before his internal systems shut down to conserve power.

As Chewbacca pried C3-PO from the ice and carried him to the _Millennium Faulcon_, R2 zoomed towards the nearest X-Wing.

Han and Chewbacca ran at breakneck speed through the ramp of the _Faulcon_, hastily sealing the entrance behind them. While Chewie laid 3PO's powerless body on the floor, alongside his severed limb, Han rushed to the cockpit and deftly jumped into the pilot's seat.

"I appreciate what you did out there, Han," Leia said gratefully as she initiated the takeoff sequence. "Thank you."

"Let's just not make a habit out of it." the smuggler said distractedly as he flipped all the right levers and nobs.

Suddenly, Leia stole a kiss from his lips and spoke with a mischievous smirk:

"I wouldn't dream of it."

Han shook off his surprise, trying to focus his attention back on his piloting console.

"Alright. Everyone strap in," he ordered, turning the final dial. "Here we go."

Han punched the accelerator, sending the _Millennium Faulcon_ shooting out of Hoth's main hangar. He quickly turned away from the Imperial blockade in order to head towards the other pole of the planet where they could easily jump to lightspeed.

As they flew, Leia suddenly stiffened in her seat and looked out the cockpit, as if she trying to find something.

"What's wrong?" Han asked.

"It's Luke," Leia said slowly. "He's… in trouble."

"What? How do you know?" the smuggler stared at her incredulously.

"Just… wait… I think I can talk to him."

Han did as he was told and watched Leia scrunch her eyebrows together as she focused intently on something.

Finally, after several seconds, she heaved a loud sigh and relaxed back into her seat. Her cheeks were flushed and she'd broken a light sweat.

"Mind telling me what that was all about?" Han requested with a mix of politeness and sarcasm.

"Luke was moving towards something very bad," Leia answered. "I was able to turn him away from it this time but… I fear the road he will have to face will be a perilous one."

Han did not know how to respond to this and decided he was not going to attempt to. He had endured enough peril for one day.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! It was a blast to write and now we're really getting in to the meat of the story.**

**For those of you who are interested, I can't recommend strongly enough **_**In a Lonely Place**_**. It's a brilliant noir film starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame. It's a real gut punch. An emotional wire walk I strongly suggest you watch. I guarantee that after ten minutes you'll be hooked. **


	22. New Encounters

**Second chapter under the new coronavirus pandemic. Hope everyone is staying at home, washing hands and overall being sensible.**

**It's been tough gathering the motivation to write fanfiction chapters recently. I have this unhealthy obsession of obsessing over the comments I get on any new chapter I post, and I often think that when I don't get any new comments, it somehow means no one is interested in what I'm writing. Despite the fact people still favorite and follow this fanfic regularly, it's easy for me to get caught up in writing for other people before myself.**

**Don't worry I'm not whining for you to write more comments, just sharing what's going on in my head and why this chapter may have taken a while to come out.**

**Let's answer a comment:**

**-RKF22: Yep, me too! Hope their connection stays strong.**

**Without further ado, let's commence the chapter. If certain details differ from your personal knowledge of other types of Star Wars media, please understand this is all my interpretation. I don't expect you to agree with the changes I make, but please don't point them out to me in a snide or condescending way.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

Luke groaned in frustration as he took stock of his current situation. In short: he was stranded on an uninhabited planet with precious few resources, his only mode of transportation was half-sunk in a swamp, his astromech was gummed up with mud, and he was supposed to find someone whom he only knew the name was Yoda.

All told, this was not the worst situation Luke had been in. He'd be hard-pressed to find something that could compare to what he experienced on the Death Star or Hoth. Being stranded on Dagobah was more irritating than anything else.

As Luke lugged his supplies and equipment out of his X-Wing and on to dry land, he was intrigued by the strange aura that seemed to float over this planet. It felt like a pulsating power, which he was unable to determine the origin. There was definitely something unusual about Dagobah; perhaps even something dangerous...

Luke set down his long distant communicator and turned towards R2 who was looking quite worse for wear. He had done his best to wipe the mud off the little droid's ports and lenses. Hopefully, it would rain soon so that the rest of the crud washed away.

"_I'm starting to feel a little faint here, you _know," the little astromech beeped humorously.

"What? Oh, ready for some power?" Luke asked.

He switched on the portable generator and plugged the power cable into the droid's front socket. R2 beeped gratefully in response before falling silent as he let his batteries fill up.

"Now all I got to do is find this Yoda," Luke muttered, half to himself. "If he even exists."

He did not want to doubt the last order Obi-Wan had given him, but Luke could not imagine anyone being able to live in an environment like this one. Dagobah's air was thick with humidity and so cloudy the sun never made it past the upper atmosphere. So far, most of the wildlife he'd encountered was pretty harmless, aside from the swamp creature that nearly ate R2. He figured there were plenty more terrifying creatures just waiting for him to let his guard down.

Luke tried to set all those concerns aside and got out his field rations. He did not have much of an appetite at the moment but he needed to keep up his strength for when he started searching for Yoda.

"It's really a strange place to find a Jedi Master," Luke said to R2, as he gazed at the snaking vines and massive trees that seemed to be the planet's only vegetation.

"_Maybe he likes the peace and quiet_," R2 squeaked back sarcastically. "_Or the mud baths? Or the fish?_"

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Luke replied with a smirk. "This place gives me the creeps."

As he bit into his ration bar, he quickly realized his statement did not entirely ring true. Nothing he'd seen or sensed had made him in any way nervous. Luke was more intrigued by this strange energy that the entire planet seemed to be brimming with. It did not feel like the Light of the Dark; it was something else. But what?

"But still… there's something familiar about this place…"

"_What is it?"_ R2 asked curiously.

"I don't know," Luke replied pensively. "I feel like…"

"Feel like what?"

Luke nearly jumped out of his seat in surprise. He quickly turned towards the voice behind him, drawing his blaster as he faced the speaker. As soon as he saw what had snuck up on him, his surprise quickly disappeared.

"Like we're being watched," Luke concluded.

The short, shriveled green creature recoiled behind it's walking stick, letting out a low whimper of fear.

"Away put your weapon. I mean you no harm," it pleaded in a low, raspy tone. "I am wondering, why are you here?"

Luke felt that commenting on the creature's phrasing was the least of his concerns at this point. He slowly put away his blaster, prompting the creature to reveal its face.

It was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. Its forehead was bonny and ridged, with wisps of whiter hair at the base of two large, pointy ears. Its hands and feet consisted of three claws, or large nails, Luke was not sure. It wore a torn and worn out looking cloak; its color had faded with age and was covered in grime.

However, what most caught Luke's attention was its eyes. They were green but seemed to possess swirls of gold in the irises. They possessed an inscrutable quality which Luke could not describe. They seemed to reflect profound wisdom and knowledge, only they belonged to a sentient swamp creature who appeared to have a few screws loose.

"I'm looking for someone," Luke finally answered.

"Looking?" it answered, its eyes widening with excitement. "Found someone you have I would say, hmmm?"

It let out a low chuckle as if it was exceedingly proud of its own joke. Luke could not help but smile. To think he'd actually been worried about this thing. He felt bad calling it a thing since it was clearly sentient, but its bizarre speech pattern and demeanor was hard to take seriously.

"Help you I can. Yes, hmmm." the little creature offered.

"I don't think so," Luke replied distractedly. "I'm looking for a great warrior."

Luke almost missed the imperceptible twitch in the creature's ears when he said that.

"Oooooh, great warrior?" it chuckled as it moved closer to Luke. "Wars not make one great."

As the creature moved closer to Luke, he was struck by how odd its Force presence felt. In fact, it could almost be described as a lack of presence, which was impossible. Every single lifeform had a Force signature, which varied depending on who or what they were. It could only disappear through training, or in death.

Luke was quite sure he was not speaking to a ghost, meaning this creature was disguising its Force presence, which made even less sense. How was this little green hermit able to do something that even Luke, a trained Jedi apprentice, was still learning to master?

"Something disturbing you, is there?" the little creature asked, snapping Luke out of his thoughts.

It was eying him with a searching gaze which made Luke pause before he quickly came up with his response.

"Nothing, I just… noticed you're very calm minded."

"Oh yes," it answered with a chuckle. "Much training it requires."

"Someone taught you?" Luke was intrigued.

"Yes, my friend: Yoda."

Luke could not believe what he was hearing. This little creature had met Yoda?

"You know him?"

"Hmmm, take you to him I will," it said with a knowing smile before releasing a shrill laugh. "Yes, yes. But now, we must eat. Come, come."

And without any more explanation, the creature took a small lamp out of Luke's bag and proceeded to waddle away from the camp, using it to light its path.

Luke watched it move away, unsure of what he was getting himself into. Though at this point, he did not have much of a choice.

"R2, stay and watch after the camp."

And Luke followed the mysterious creature deeper into the swamps of Dagobah.

* * *

"_Can't you see what you're running towards?!_" Chewbacca growled angrily to Han as he struggled to keep the _Millennium Faulcon_ stable.

"I saw them! I saw them!" the smuggler snapped back, trying to set the coordinates for the jump to lightspeed with one hand while keeping an eye on the approaching enemy ships.

As far as they could tell, most other Rebel ships had managed to escape the sector, but the Empire seemed determined not to let the _Faulcon_ go. That was the only explanation for sending three Star Destroyers after a single ship.

"I hope you're not planning to blast your way out of this," Leia said from behind Han's chair.

"I couldn't even if I wanted to, princess," he replied, raising the deflector shields. "But I can still outmaneuver them."

"Stop calling me prince— "

Leia could not finish her sentence as Han performed a last-minute nose dive, avoiding the incoming Star Destroyers which narrowly missed the one that had been tailing them. That took care of the larger ships, but the TIE Fighters were still on their tail.

"At least now we've got some breathing room," Han muttered. "Prepare to make the jump to lightspeed."

As Chewie and Leia wordlessly flipped the correct switches and levers, C3-PO entered the cockpit, having recharged his depleted power core. He was still missing his left arm, which he carried in his right hand as he teetered in.

"Sir, I feel I should tell you— "

"Not a good time, 3PO," Han shouted back, executing a sharps turn to throw off the TIE pilots. "Everyone strap in."

"But sir—" 3PO tried to protest but was cut off by a sudden jolt from incoming Imperial lasers.

"They're getting closer," Leia warned.

"Oh yeah? Watch this," Han replied cockily as he pulled down the lever to jump into lightspeed.

The alarming sputter of the engine and the absence of the blue swirls of a hyperspace tunnel, quickly told everyone that something was wrong.

"Still watching," Leia commented wryly.

"I think we're in trouble," Han said, almost as an afterthought.

"Good thing you killed yourself making all those repairs back on Hoth," Leia added, to which Chewie could not hold back a short snort of laughter.

Before Han could hit back with a satisfying quip, 3PO's frantic voice interrupted:

"Sir, if I may say so, I noticed earlier the hyperdrive motivator has been damaged! It's impossible to go to lightspeed."

"Yeah, we're in trouble…" Han cursed to himself.

Just as he was about to get out of his chair to try and fix the hyperdrive, Leia pulled him back by his sleeve and pointed to the fast-approaching obstacle ahead of them.

"Look! Asteroids."

As soon as she said that word, a crazy idea popped into Han's head. His instincts quickly took over as he settled back into the pilot's chair and took full control of the _Faulcon_'s piloting system.

"Chewie set 2-7 to 1."

"You're going to go through an asteroid field?" Leia asked in disbelief.

"I imagine the Empire is wondering the same thing right about now," Han said as he accelerated towards the asteroid belt. "With any luck they'll come to their senses and stop following us."

Han was surprised not to hear a reply from Leia. He'd at least expected a chastising for his borderline-suicidal plan. As he glanced back to look at her, she quickly captured his lips in a tender kiss before pulling away.

"For luck," she said with a smile. "I'll go man the turret."

"There's no such thing as luck," Han called after here with a smirk.

"Wow, and I almost came close to believing you meant that," Leia shot back before disappearing up the ladder towards the upper turrets.

"Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately three thousand seven hundred and twenty to one!" C3-PO cried out in distress.

"Never tell me the odds!" Han snapped back as he concentrated on weaving through the more volatile chunks of floating rock.

After several minutes of close calls and borderline suicidal flying, the TIE Fighters that had followed them were eliminated; either because of the asteroid field, or thanks to Leia's precise aim on the turret.

"We're going to have to land," Han spoke, half to himself, half to Chewie. "Keep your eyes out for a good spot."

"Excuse me, sir," 3PO chimed in. "But where are we landing?"

"Wherever is big enough and out of sight," Han answered before spotting what he was looking for. "Over there. That looks good."

As they made their way into a tunnel that burrowed into a large asteroid, C3-PO could not contain his lament:

"Oh dear… I should never have back switched on."

* * *

Vader kneeled down as the floating hologram of Darth Sidious appeared before him.

"What is thy bidding, my master?" he asked.

"There is a great disturbance in the Force," Sidious spoke slowly.

"I have felt it."

"The young boy who destroyed the Death Star," the Emperor said contemptuously. "The offspring of Anakin Skywalker. He could destroy us."

"He is just a boy. Obi-Wan can no longer help him."

"Yes. Indeed," Sidious grinned maniacally from under the shadow of his hood. "I congratulate you on capturing him, Lord Vader. However, the Force is strong with young Skywalker. He must not become a Jedi."

"If he could be turned he would become a powerful ally," Vader said, keeping his tone even.

"Yes… He would be a great asset. Can it be done?"

"He will join us or die, master," Vader spoke without a shred of hesitation.

"Good," Sidious grinned sadistically. "We will use Kenobi to break the boy. Once you have captured his remaining friends, he will have no choice but to join us."

* * *

Everything hurt. Every muscle, bone and organ in his body throbbed from pain. It wasn't like anything he'd experienced before. Nothing was broken, or burnt, or cut, or torn…

Everything other than this pain was darkness. He could not see; he could not hear, nor smell, nor taste, nor touch. He felt stranded; blind. And when he reached out to the Force to help him see, the Force did not come to him.

Anyone else would have panicked, but this feeling was actually familiar to him. He had been here before: having a wall placed between him and the Force. He tried to search his memories to trace where he'd first had that sensation, though it seemed even his mind was slower to recollect. Every reaction in his body felt like it was reduced to a snail's crawl.

As he worked on tracing back this memory, his ears picked up the faintest of sounds near him. He could not tell how close it was or what had made the sound but his ears continued to pick up more and more noises, which his brain was slowly but surely able to process.

He could eventually determine with a fair amount of certainty that he was hearing footsteps. Though as soon as he realized this, the footsteps stopped and another sound replaced them. It was a long droning noise which he did his best to try to decode.

However, before he could, something grabbed him and all of a sudden, two slits of light flooded his vision and blinded him. He shut his eyes immediately, waiting for the swirling colors in his retina to settle.

Before he saw anything, he sensed it: the Force! He could feel it again! That was not saying much though. He could sense only the barest trace of it, but its very presence was comforting. With this added sense, he gained more clarity, his memories and senses slowly returning to him.

Once he'd managed to reconstruct who he was, what had happened to him and where he was likely to be, Obi-Wan finally opened his eyes.

He felt a strange sort of pride at having been able to guess where he was without having been able to see or sense his surroundings. The ray shield that separated him from his interlocutor did not leave much room for doubt.

He could not yet focus his eyes on the person in front of him, so instead the old Jedi decided to first take stock of what was closest to him. He was seated in a chair. He could feel his arm was restrained at his side. Though even if his arm had been free, his cell did not seem wide enough for him to extend it fully.

While his eyes had adjusted to the sudden influx of light, for some reason Obi-Wan was still unable to focus on the person in front of him. He had to squint to make out the red-haired woman in front of him.

This time when she spoke, Obi-Wan was able to understand her.

"So this is the infamous Obi-Wan Kenobi," Mara said derisively. "You've made quite an impression. The entire ship is talking about you."

Ordinarily, Obi-Wan would reply with a clever quip or search her emotions to find something he could exploit. However, he lacked the energy for either option. While he was no longer cut off from the Force, his current connection was nowhere near enough to sense someone's else's feelings.

Obi-Wan tried to open his mouth to speak, only to realize it was covered in some sort of material that muffled his voice. His mind was also slowly remembering how to properly enunciate words, in order to not sound completely incomprehensible.

Once he felt he could properly answer, Obi-Wan gave it another try:

"That is very nice to hear."

His pacing was much slower than his usual speech pattern. His tone was also noticeably hoarser. While Obi-Wan tried to concentrate on what his normal speech sounded like, the woman watched him struggle with an amused smile.

"Struggling to remember everything, are we?" she taunted. "You must be wondering just what in the world is happening to you."

Obi-Wan now felt confident enough to start speaking more directly.

"A Sith torture mask, I believe," he replied evenly. "Imbued with dark side energy, preventing me from calling upon the Force."

Obi-Wan did not miss the quick flash of anger on the young woman's face at his knowledge of the device. He could only imagine she had been planning a dramatic reveal of his predicament.

"Have you heard of it?" she asked.

"More than that, I was subjected to it," Obi-Wan replied, recollecting that distant memory. "I believe it was… yes, twenty-five years ago. We had suffered a great defeat on Jabiim. I was captured by Asajj Ventress and tortured for many days. This hood is quite a formidable object."

The woman slowly paced outside his cell, observing the old Jedi's grey-blue eyes, which stood out against the dark mass of the hood like gemstones.

"Though of course, you were younger back then," she continued. "You were in your prime. But now, without the Force to aid you, age is taking its toll. And it does not appear kind."

Obi-Wan had had his suspicions, and she had just confirmed them. Hs blurry vision and aching body all made sense now. Without the Force to compensate, his body was that of an old man, and therefore suffered the ailments of time. The exhaustion and weariness from his fight with Vader on Hoth were still with him, despite however many hours or days ago that was.

"I suppose it would please you for me to say it, so I will humor you," Obi-Wan sighed. "But you have well and truly defeated me. With this hood on, I am but a harmless old man."

"How impressive of you to swallow your pride."

"A Jedi has no need for pride. I do not have the energy to downplay my current situation."

"How diligent. If only your student had showed the same resolve."

Mara was impressed at how blank Obi-Wan's expression remained when she said this. Not even the irises of his eyes twitched to indicate a reaction. She could not sense his inner emotions. While the Sith hood kept Obi-Wan from focusing on the Force, it also kept anyone else out his mind.

"I dueled him on Hoth after he took down my AT-AT," she continued, staying keenly aware of any crack in the old Jedi's façade. "He held out admirably well, though, in the end, his training was far from complete. He even continued trying to hit me when I cut both his legs off. He writhed in the snow like a wounded dog, frothing at the mouth, screaming how much he hated me. Surely you sensed his anger; his fear. They lasted up until the moment I cut his head."

Obi-Wan's expression remained completely unreadable. His entire body was frozen as he kept his eyes locked with Mara's.

"You are lying," he stated calmly.

Mara said nothing. Now it was her turn to keep her expression neutral.

"You are lying and you have revealed so much without me even needing to use the Force. If you had really killed Luke, it stands to reason you would have reported it to Palpatine or Vader. I have no doubt that either of them would have recognized the importance of such information, and certainly would not be so careless as to reveal it just to get a reaction out of me. Now, since Luke isn't dead, he is either captured or he's escaped. Judging by your impatience to try to get me to crack, if Luke truly was captured I'm sure you would also have spun that into an elaborate tragedy. The only logical option left is that Luke escaped from you on Hoth, and you have yet to tell anyone about this because you fear the consequences."

The blood had completely drained from Mara's face. All the carefully crafted mind games she thought she would be playing were blown away. This harmless old man who could not even use the Force had somehow become more terrifying than Vader.

"I knew who you were as soon as I laid eyes on you," Obi-Wan continued mercilessly, his tone like the edge of a razor. "Proud, impulsive, anxious to prove yourself… And your words only confirmed my suspicions. I didn't even need to use the Force to see right through you. I didn't need to move a muscle for you to put yourself at risk of death. If I breathe a word to anybody that you let Luke Skywalker escape, I think we both know how the Emperor will react to that."

Mara was shaking now. The eyes she had thought resembled gemstones were boring into her soul like cold blue flames. She was completely at Obi-Wan's mercy; her life was in his hands. If the Emperor found out, a quick death was not in the cards for her.

As Mara gazed into the abyss, teetering on the edge, close to falling in, she furiously wiped the tears out of her eyes. She looked back at Obi-Wan and was stunned to see that his eyes were no longer cold blue fires, but beautiful, twinkling sapphires.

Even though she could not see his face, his eyes somehow drew a kind and heart-warming smile in her mind. When he spoke, gone was the razor's edge, she could only hear gentility and compassion:

"I would _never_ do that, Mara. Even if I had to sacrifice my life, I would never sell you out to the Emperor. He has corrupted all that I love and cherish, and I refuse to let him take you too. I could sense the conflict within you on Hoth, and I can see it in your eyes now. You are not what he has made you. No matter how much you try to deceive yourself, your heart speaks the truth. Listen to it. Follow it. It will set you free."

Mara's shaking had turned into deep sobbing. Tears streamed down her face; her legs quivered under her. She had to choke out every word:

"I can't… I'm scared… I'm not strong enough…"

"Don't be afraid, Mara," when she heard those words, she remembered where she first heard them. "The Force will be with you. Always."

Mara finally understood. It was like the final piece of a puzzle she'd spent her whole life searching for.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Obi-Wan nodded his head and watched as Mara quickly turned around and walked out of his cell.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and tried to focus his mind. He silently thanked Rahm for sharing everything he'd sensed about Mara. Even though he could not use the Force, he sent out a small prayer for it to guide her on her journey.

* * *

**And here we are!**

**So yeah, I'm sure some people won't like the Obi-Wan part of the fact I didn't have Yoda try to steal Luke's stuff, but that's all just what I felt worked best. I read this comic where Obi-Wan was tortured by Ventress using a Sith hood and it intrigued me as a concept, including what effects it would have on a Jedi. For Yoda, I just didn't really feel like playing too much into his buffoonish side, even though I love that scene as much as anyone in Ep 5.**

**What did you think? Thoughts? Let me know in a comment, and consider favoriting and following.**

**Until next time, stay home and stay safe!**


	23. Darkness Looms

**Hello everyone! Hope you're all staying safe in these trying times. I hope this new chapter helps to make your day just a little brighter, if only for a little bit.**

**I won't waste time with pleasantries. Let me answer the reviews from my last chapter and I'll leave you with chapter 23:**

**-RKF22: Yeah we're entering a point in the story where characters are being introduced to other characters for the first time. Glad it didn't feel too awkward. May the Force be with you.**

**-Bountyhunter1977: I share your fears for how Luke's training and body parts will fare as things progress. Fingers crossed ;). As for the time travel business, that was just me getting ahead of myself for stuff that will be happening much later. Don't worry you haven't missed anything, it's just some ham-fisted teasing for later events.**

**-Kamizune: Thank you! Glad to hear you're enjoying it, it means a lot to me to hear you say that. I hope to continue this story for quite a while. This will definitely be the longest story I've ever written (I haven't written that much so it isn't all that impressive but I'm expecting it to reach perhaps 100 chapters… don't quote me on that… really have no idea ;)**

**-Hello: Hey! Happy to hear you're enjoying it so far. Those are all some excellent possibilities and suggestions you've raised. For now, I'm still thinking about how Obi-Wan's side of things is going to unfold since I'm quite clear on where everyone else is going to be. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Alright, those are all the reviews! Thank you so much to everyone who left a message, I appreciate your investment and passion.**

**Let's get on with chapter 23! If you enjoy, please favorite, follow and leave a review.**

* * *

Luke felt awkward inside the little green creature's hut. Frankly, even that was an understatement. Considering he was over twice as tall as his host, saying he felt cramped inside his home was putting it nicely.

There was no way R2 would fit in the hut so Luke had had to leave him outside. Thankfully, a heavy shower was coming down which would hopefully clean off all the mud and grime the little droid was caked in.

The small green hermit was busy preparing a strange stew in a small pot over the fire. Luke was in no mood to eat. He needed to find Yoda as soon as possible and the carefree attitude of his mysterious guide was starting to wear on his nerves. There was a galactic war he needed to return to and he did not have time to waste loitering around in a swamp.

"Give you strength this food will," the creature mumbled with a shrewd laugh as he returned to the kitchen. "Come, come. Sit and eat."

He had strongly insisted that Luke spend the night in his hut. The latter had repeatedly tried to explain he needed to meet Yoda as soon as possible but the little creature had just laughed in his face and told him to be patient. This only irritated Luke even more. He was beginning to suspect he had no idea where to find Yoda and was just distracting him so he could rob him in his sleep.

"Look I'm sure it's delicious," Luke tried to speak calmly. "I just don't understand why we can't see Yoda now?"

"Patience," the creature replied predictably. "For a Jedi, it is time to eat as well."

_Damn it all_, Luke cursed silently. _What am I even doing here?_

He cast a dismissive look towards the minuscule table in front of him, covered in various bits of tableware and food, atop of which sat a large snake. It looked at Luke lazily with its emerald green eyes, before turning its head away in clear disinterest.

Luke had only needed one whiff of whatever was stewing in that pot to know he had no interest in tasting it. All he wanted was to get on with finding Yoda.

As the creature came back towards the fire to add more things to the pot, Luke decided he needed to try a more direct approach. He felt bad having to resort to this method, but he could no longer afford to sit around doing nothing.

When the hermit turned back around to look at him, Luke locked eyes with him, focused on the Force, and carefully waved his hand in front of him:

"You will take me to Yoda _now_."

For a moment, Luke thought the mind trick had worked since the hermit stared back at him blankly. But then, his empty eyes seemed to show a flash of sadness as he turned away from Luke to focus on his stew.

"Patience. You must learn patience," the creature spoke, much more solemnly and seriously than before. "In a hurry, a Jedi is not."

Luke could not believe it. The mind trick had not even fazed him. Could he be part of a species against whom it was ineffective? But the way he looked at Luke, it was as if he knew he had tried to manipulate his mind…

"Tell me," the creature spoke up, facing Luke, his gaze steady and searching. "Why wish you to become a Jedi?"

Luke did not answer immediately. It was not something he had often thought about. It had always felt like this path was the obvious one. He had accepted it without thinking twice; it had been almost like a natural reaction. People had shown him the way, and his instincts told him to follow it…

"Partly because of my father, I guess," Luke replied evenly, trying to avoid direct eye contact with his host. "But mostly I'd say it's because of Obi-Wan."

"Obi-Wan and your father, powerful Jedi were they, hmmm," the creature nodded in agreement. "Powerful Jedi indeed."

"Oh come on. How could you know either of them? You don't even know who I am?" Luke bit out in exasperation. He was letting his anger get the better of him, but he did not care; this was getting ridiculous. "I don't even know what I'm doing here; we're wasting our time!"

Luke's shout was punctuated by an emphatic crack of lighting. He tried to bring his heart rate down and release his emotions into the Force, but somehow, he could not manage it. Luke felt unable to rid himself of these feelings in his heart.

The creature did not turn back to face him. He leaned on his walking stick next to the fire, staring off into space. What caught Luke's attention was that he could suddenly feel his Force presence. It was faint but possessed a soothing quality that seemed to slowly wash away his anger and frustration.

"I cannot teach him," the creature muttered sadly. "The boy has no patience."

"_He will learn patience_."

Luke's eyes went wide when he heard someone answer. He looked around to see if there was anyone else in the hut, but it was only him and the hermit. The voice was familiar to him, so was the sensation he had when he heard it. Luke had heard this person before but… who?

When Luke turned back towards the creature, he was staring at him with a sharp, disapproving look. For some reason, Luke suddenly felt embarrassed; as if he were a child being reprimanded by his aunt on Tattooine.

"Much anger in him," he spoke sternly. "Like his father."

"_All Jedi go through it, at some time or other_."

That voice... where had he heard it? That gruff and aged tone, which still held passion and strength. Could it be…? Rahm? Rahm Kota?

But how could Rahm Kota be speaking through the Force to this old shriveled hermit? It didn't make any sense... unless…

"He is not ready," the creature spoke with finality.

Unless he was… No. It's impossible. He can't be…

"Yoda?"

Luke did not realize he had said it out loud, but as soon as he did, the little creature's aura began to shift as Grand Master Yoda fully unveiled his Force presence. Luke was unable to fathom what he was sensing; it felt surreal. Despite their size difference, the young man felt absolutely minuscule and insignificant compared to Yoda.

He was much more powerful than Obi-Wan, which already terrified Luke since Ben was the strongest person he knew. He was shocked that such overwhelming power came from such an unassuming person.

Yoda nodded slowly in answer to Luke's guess. Suddenly, all the sadness and apprehension he'd seen in his eyes made sense.

"I am ready!" Luke tried to protest. "I can be a Jedi. Rahm, tell him I'm— "

In his anxious frenzy, Luke momentarily forgot where he was and knocked his head against the ceiling as he attempted to get up. As he massaged the small lump he could feel forming on his head, Yoda paced back and forth in front of him, still watching him with those inscrutable eyes.

"Ready are you? What know you of ready?" Yoda asked, shaking his head dismissively. "For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi. My own counsel will I keep on who is to be trained."

Yoda stepped even closer to Luke. The young man did not think it was possible, but Yoda's Force presence felt like a flame warming his skin. He was completely taken aback by its intensity.

"A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind," Yoda continued. "This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away to the future; to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing."

To punctuate his point, Yoda jabbed Luke with the end of his gimmer stick. Now he really felt like a child being scolded, but he could not think of anything to answer back.

"Adventure. Heh!" Yoda chuckled ironically as he moved away from Luke. "Excitement. Heh! A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless!"

Luke looked away shamefully. He wanted to push back and tell Yoda he was wrong but he could not find any compelling arguments. In fact, his prior actions had no doubt spoken louder than anything he could say now.

"_So was I, if you'll remember_," Rahm insisted. "_So were we all._"

Luke wanted to prove Yoda wrong. Rahm was supporting him too. All he needed was a chance; Yoda was beginning to listen. He had to show him he could trust him.

"He is too old," Yoda said defensively. "Yes. Too old to begin the training."

"But I've learned so much," Luke pleaded. "Obi-Wan has already taught me so many things. I can't stop now. He sent me here to find you so I could complete my training."

Yoda looked deep into Luke's bright blue eyes as if searching for his answer. The young man held his gaze confidently until Yoda turned away, heaving a small sigh.

"Will he finish what he begins?"

"I won't fail you," Luke replied determinedly. "I'm not afraid."

As soon as he said that, Yoda's ears twitched at the same time as his eyes widened with intrigue. Luke could feel his Force presence regress back until he could no longer sense the aura of the powerful Jedi Master.

"Oh, you will be," Yoda whispered ominously. "You will be."

Luke could not stifle the chill that ran down his spine when the old master said those words. As Yoda walked back towards the fire, Luke wondered what exactly he was referring to.

* * *

Obi-Wan had quickly given up trying to get a sense of time inside his cell. He racked his brain as much as he could and tried as hard as possible to sense something through the Force, but to no avail. He had to accept that, for now, he was essentially in a physical and temporal limbo.

Perhaps a few hours after Mara's visit, he had enjoyed the company of a squad of Death Troopers alongside the ship's chief doctor. The latter proceeded to place an IV in Obi-Wan's arm to feed him the necessary nutrients for his survival, as well as two catheters so that they did not have to worry about ever taking him to the bathroom.

Obi-Wan was not thrilled with this arrangement beyond the obvious reasons. While it was humiliating and degrading, it also removed one more potential way he could use to escape. Though at this point, it was still much too early to worry about that. Until he could establish a stronger connection to the Force, trying to come up with an escape plan was simply not practical.

With all other possibilities exhausted, Obi-Wan's only choice was to focus on freeing himself from this egregious hood. When he had first experienced the effects of the sith torture mask on Rattatak, he'd been able to escape it by slowly breaking apart a water pipe above him using his minuscule connection to the Force. Although back then Obi-Wan had had an elite Clone Trooper by his side to help him escape, not to mention also being twenty-five years younger.

However, since Obi-Wan had given a detailed report of his escape to the Jedi Council, to which Anakin had been present, it was more than likely Vader had many countermeasures in place if ever he attempted to free himself.

_I really am getting too old for this sort of thing_, Obi-Wan bemoaned.

In the end, the old Jedi decided on a plan. It would be a slow and grueling one; back on Rattatak, he'd only been able to escape after three weeks of tireless concentration. Obi-Wan had no way of knowing if Vader had already thought of his plan, but it did not matter. If he did not at least do something, he would be letting his enemies win.

For now, Obi-Wan's connection to the Force was like a minuscule fissure in an imposing stone wall. His only choice was to chip away at it until it became a gaping hole, even if he had to do it a toothpick.

Just as he prepared to focus, Obi-Wan's attention was reclaimed by the sound of his cell door unlocking. He did not even need to open his eyes; the regular echo of artificially drawn breaths told Obi-Wan exactly who was visiting him.

He slowly looked up and was greeted with the familiar silhouette of his old apprentice.

"Look how far you've fallen, Obi-Wan," Vader said dispassionately. "Is this how you are to die? Crippled and powerless?"

"My current situation is all your doing, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied slowly. "Kill me now if you wish but it won't do you any good. I have vowed never to leave you until you turn away from the Dark Side."

"Your arrogance blinds you. Anakin Skywalker is no more."

"You're deceiving yourself, Anakin. Even with this infernal thing on my head I know there is conflict in you. I had that same conflict when I tried to believe Anakin Skywalker was truly dead. But I was wrong; there is still good in you."

"And that is your weakness, old man," Vader sneered, leaning closer to the ray shield. "It was your foolishness that landed you here. Had you simply left me to die, none of this would be happening."

"I cannot kill you, Anakin. I thought I could bring myself to do it on Mustafar but I was unable to put aside my feelings. When I see what my decision turned you into, I can't help agree that it may be a weakness. I failed you, Anakin. I should never have abandoned you on that infernal planet. I'm sorry."

Vader observed Obi-Wan silently for several seconds. He was not sure what he was trying to find in the old Jedi's eyes, but what he saw did not please him.

"I do not need your apologies," Vader replied. "I do not need anything from you. The Emperor has set his sights on another prize: Anakin Skywalker's offspring."

Obi-Wan had to focus very intently to not let his eyes show his disgust. Every time he heard Palpatine's name or one of his plans it made him gag.

"You're talking about your son," Obi-Wan ground out. "Your own flesh and blood; don't try to run from it."

"I am not— "

"You're afraid because he's the one person tying you to Anakin Skywalker! But he's exactly the one who will save you! He'll— "

Obi-Wan's words suddenly died in his throat as an invisible grip tightened around his larynx. He tried to fight against it, but in his current position, it was no use.

"He will be turned, or he will die," Vader growled menacingly.

"He is training to become a Jedi, just like you were," Obi-Wan desperately gasped out; he could feel his consciousness fading. "He will succeed where I have failed."

Vader released his hold on Obi-Wan's neck. The old Jedi retched and gasped as he breathed in precious air and tried to catch his breath.

"Your faith in your padawan is admirable," Vader spoke knowingly. "But it is misplaced. Once we capture his Rebel friends onboard the _Millennium Faulcon_, he will stop at nothing to come save them."

A cold chill ran down Obi-Wan's spine. He wanted to call his bluff and say that Han, Leia, and Chewbacca were safe with the Rebel fleet, but it would not have done him much good. Vader was not one to make empty threats.

"Anakin… please don't do this," Obi-Wan said quietly, almost pleading. "This is what the Emperor wants, it isn't you—"

"You have failed, Obi-Wan," Vader said coldly as he got up and walked towards the door. "Everything that happens from now will be because of your own arrogance and weakness."

And with that, Vader left Obi-Wan's cell, letting the heavy door lock shut behind him.

Obi-Wan desperately tried to collect his thoughts and calm his racing mind, but Vader's threat just kept coming back to him, no matter how hard he tried to ignore it.

_No! I need to trust Yoda and Luke. They'll find a way…_

Trying to keep his doubts and fears at bay, Obi-Wan did his best to refocus his efforts on establishing a stronger connection to the Force. Though now, he felt it would just not be enough to prevent what had been set in motion.

* * *

It had been several hours since the _Millennium Faulcon _landed inside the asteroid. Han and Chewie had spent most of that time furiously trying to fix the hyperdrive, or at least patch it up until they could reach a planet where it could be properly repaired.

Meanwhile, Leia had been able to reattach C3-PO's arm. Her knowledge of mechanics was limited, but by using some blueprints of similar droid models which 3PO kept stored in his memory banks, she had been able to more or less return him to his former glory. Some of the connections were not perfectly wired, causing some involuntary spasms, but for now, it was better than nothing.

"Oh, Princess Leia, I cannot express my immense satisfaction at once again being whole," 3PO said excitedly. "Thank you so much for your help. I was afraid this accident would lead me to be deactivated."

"Don't be so dramatic, 3PO," Leia reassured him with a pat on the back as she cleaned the grease off her hands. "You were very brave, and are an important member of the team."

"Well… I…," 3PO was speechless; ironic for a protocol droid versed in over six million forms of communication. "I must say I am… beyond overjoyed to hear it."

Leia could not help but smile at the droid's sheepish attitude. No doubt that any other Rebel crew would opt for an offensive or tactical droid to have on board their ship, but Leia would choose 3PO over them any day. The fact that he always seemed to react and think in ways that were diametrically opposed to everyone else meant he often offered solutions without even realizing it. She felt truly blessed to have him and R2 as companions.

Speaking of which, Leia realized she should try to see if she could communicate with Luke. It likely would not be any good in this cave, but it would at least serve to make sure the communications array was working.

"Go see if Han and Chewie need a hand," Leia told 3PO. "I'll see if our communications are working."

Leia marched towards the front of the ship and into the cockpit. She could hear the intense disagreement Chewbacca and Han were having just down the hall, though she resisted the urge to shout a witty comment. Right now was the time to focus; banter could come later.

As expected, she was unable to contact Luke or anyone else for that matter. For now, it did not really matter. With the Imperial presence around them, there was too high a risk that the communication could be traced or intercepted.

There was also no message from Luke, which made Leia somewhat anxious. She remembered that strange feeling she had had on Hoth. How, almost instinctively, she had known Luke was in going towards a dark place. It had been like a reflex; as if his thoughts were being shared with her directly. Leia was still unsettled by what she had experienced.

She had no idea if it was in some way related to the Force and the Jedi, or if it had just been her mind going delirious from stress and lack of sleep. She was partial to the former, though the only person she could discuss this sort of thing was not with them.

Obi-Wan Kenobi was the second object of her worries. His last instructions had not been very reassuring and Leia could not help wondering if the worst may have happened to him. She quickly caught herself before her mind ventured any further. _He is alive. Until I know otherwise, he is still alive._

As her thoughts wandered, Leia could not help remembering her father. He had always made it a point to personally teach her about the history and legacy of the Jedi. Whereas most citizens of the Empire believed the Jedi to have been a power-hungry group of religious zealots who's plans to overthrow the Old Republic were swiftly quelled, Leia knew the truth.

Her father had spent nights and nights regaling her with tales of the Jedi's heroics, some of which he'd even witnessed first-hand. He described the Jedi as fearless warriors, unrivaled in combat, but who always strived for peace across the galaxy, only resorting to violence as a last resort.

Leia remembered what her father had said about the fearless general Obi-Wan Kenobi; "The Negotiator". Her father had painted him as such as larger than life figure she had been unsure how the actual man would stack up. Far be it to say, her expectation had been met and exceeded. The vitality and strength of his youth had made way for the wisdom and benevolence of age. In any strategy meeting it was almost second nature to ask for his opinion and approval. His presence was like an immovable rock that helped to ground all those around him.

Now that he was gone, Leia missed the support his presence provided, however, all that she had learned from him allowed her to stay strong. Obi-Wan had helped her grow into her role as one of the leaders of the Rebellion, and now, despite his absence, she felt he was still watching over them as they maneuvered through the great unknown.

_We will continue to fight, Obi-Wan. And we will save you._

"Are you okay?"

Han's voice made Leia jump out of her seat. She had been so absorbed in her musings she had not heard him come in.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she quickly said. "Just… thinking about someone."

"Oh. I see," Han said sulkily as he sat behind the controls of the _Faulcon_. "Anyone I should know about?"

"Don't tell me you're jealous?" Leia asked in disbelief, trying to keep a smirk off her face.

"Me? Jealous? Impossible," Han shrugged. "Just asking, that's all."

Leia watched with amusement as the smuggler methodically checked the dials and levers in front of him to fill the awkward silence that followed.

"I was thinking of Obi-Wan," Leia finally answered, mercifully. "I'm wondering where he is and if he's safe."

"Considering everything the old man's lived through, I wouldn't be too worried," Han said as he slowly reactivated the _Millennium Faulcon_. "I think even death doesn't want anything to do with him."

Leia could not help laughing at Han's remark. He had a way of phrasing things so succinctly and poignantly that helped you to take a fresh look at things.

"You're right," she said. "We'll see him again. I'm sure of it."

"Yeah, right now we'd better worry about anyone seeing _us_ again," Han quipped. Chewbacca had entered the cockpit and was taking his seat next to him. "We've done all we can with the hyperdrive. Let's get out of here before they blast our asteroids. Hang on."

"Do you think we'll be able to make it back to the fleet?" Leia asked anxiously.

"Well… as the old man would say: may the Force be with us," Han replied evasively.

"I'm beyond relieved."

As Han lifted the _Faulcon _up off the ground and guided it towards the exit to the cave, Leia hoped they would be able to make it out without any more near-death experiences.

* * *

The only sensation Luke was able to focus on at the moment was the soreness in every single one of his limbs. While sleeping in Yoda's hut may have kept him dry throughout the night, it had also left him with very little room to spread out. It had taken several minutes for the blood to return to his arms and legs.

Getting up had also been much more painful than Luke would have preferred. His wakeup call had essentially been a whack from Yoda's gimmer stick that had snapped him out of his blissful sleep. The Jedi Master had simply told him to be ready outside the hut in five minutes.

Luke had barely had enough time to reanimate his limbs and get dressed before quickly running outside to meet Yoda. The latter was sitting on a large rock in front of R2, wiping away the few bits of dirt still clinging to the astromech's chassis.

"Hmmm, your father's droid he was," Yoda said to Luke, still keeping his eyes on R2. "Aware of this were you?"

"Obi-Wan told me, yeah,".

"Aware he is, of the struggles to become a Jedi. Watched many younglings and padawans in training he has. He knows what lies ahead for those who wish to become Jedi."

Yoda turned away from R2 to move closer to Luke. He walked up to him until they were about a meter apart. Their height difference was so apparent, Luke wondered if he should sit down to be at eye level with Yoda.

"The droid believes that you are ready," Yoda said evenly, resting his hands on his gimmer stick. "Master Kota thinks you are ready. Obi-Wan believes you are ready. Despite my own disagreements, their wisdom I will listen to. Train you, I will."

"Thank you, Master Yoda," Luke said with a small bow. "I will not fail you."

"He! Failure is not what I fear from you," Yoda said gravely. "Much anger there is within you. Made you powerful Obi-Wan has, but also more impatient. Long is the path of a Jedi. Much time is needed to fully learn. Do you have the patience?"

Luke did not answer right away. The reality was that there was still a war raging outside Dagobah; perhaps Yoda was not even aware of that. At some point, he would need to return to the Rebel Alliance and find a way to save Obi-Wan. Knowing all these things, Luke still answered:

"I do. I am ready to do whatever it takes to become a Jedi. No matter how long."

Yoda held his gaze thoughtfully for a few seconds before breaking away and taking a few steps away from him.

"What is the weapon of a Jedi?" Yoda asked casually.

Luke remembered what Obi-Wan told him when he gave him his father's lightsaber.

He unfastened the weapon from his belt and was about to give his answer when suddenly, it jumped out of his grip, flew around his head in a wide arc and bonked him on the back of the head with a sharp metallic "thud!".

As Luke tried to understand what in the world had just happened, his eyes were drawn to his floating saber hilt just in front of him. Yoda was watching him intently, completely ignoring the weapon he was levitating.

"What was that for?" Luke asked in disbelief, massaging the bump that was already forming from the blow. It seemed bumps to his cranium were becoming a recurring theme since meeting Yoda.

Instead of answering, Yoda simply waved his hand and Luke watched in awe as his lightsaber disassembled itself right before his eyes. Tiny screws were removed from the body of the lightsaber as its various metal plates and components were stripped away to reveal the glowing blue kyber crystal inside.

"Merely a tool this weapon is; not essential in a Jedi's duty," Yoda explained, effortlessly shifting around all the individual components that made up the lightsaber. "A Jedi's strength lies elsewhere."

"What do you mean?" Luke asked, perplexed. He really hoped Yoda remembered how to reassemble his lightsaber. "How am I supposed to fight without my lightsaber? All Jedi have lightsabers."

Yoda smiled knowingly and with a wave of his hand, Luke's weapon slowly returned to its original form, without a screw or fitting out of place, before dropping back into his hand. Luke gave a cursory flip of the power switch and was pleased to see the azure blade spring to life.

"Possess a lightsaber I do not," Yoda said. "But test your theory we shall. Come: attack me."

Luke paused a long moment, unsure if he had heard him correctly. Attack him?

"You're unarmed," Luke said slowly.

"Am I?" Yoda replied seriously. "Part of your training this is. Attack. Three tries I will give you."

Luke decided any more argument would not change Yoda's mind. He gingerly dropped into his fighting stance while the Jedi Master remained where he was, leisurely leaning on his gimmer stick.

"Ready?"

"Ready I am."

Luke tried to control his movements as he ran up to Yoda, preparing for an overhand strike. He did not want to risk hurting the person he had traveled so far to find. As he came within striking distance, Luke brought down his lightsaber straight on top of Yoda, putting his full body weight behind the swing.

Luke blinked once, and Yoda was gone. One moment the little green hermit was in front of him, moments away from getting cut in half; and the next, he had disappeared. Luke's lightsaber carved through the air and sliced a red hot gash into the ground.

"Better than that you will have to do."

Luke quickly turned around to find Yoda a few meters away, watching him with a bemused expression.

Luke did not waste time wondering how he had done that. Gathering up some momentum, he rushed towards Yoda, this time opting for a sideway swing to his midsection. He took the time to adjust his aim to hit his smaller body, but just before his blade made contact, Yoda was gone and Luke felt a sudden weight plopped onto his shoulders.

"Quite tall you are, hmmm?"

Luke felt the familiar tap from Yoda's gimmer stick on his head before he launched off his shoulders into a backflip and landed neatly on the ground behind him.

"How are you doing this?" Luke asked in disbelief. It was like his eyes were unable to keep up with his movements.

"Patience and training," Yoda answered simply. "That is what you need. One more chance to attack, you have."

Luke tightened the grip on his lightsaber. It did not seem like he had much of a chance of reading Yoda's movements so he tried another side swing, hoping he would be able to see how he had escaped him the first time.

However, Yoda did not evade Luke's blow. Just as his blade was about to make contact, the Jedi Master caught it with his bare hand.

Luke could not believe it. Yoda had stopped a lightsaber with his hand and was holding on to its blade like it were a harmless stick. Luke could scarcely comprehend how this was even possible.

Luke's thoughts were quickly interrupted when his lightsaber flew out of his hand, directly into Yoda's. He extinguished the blade and that was when Luke realized how quiet everything had gotten around them. There was not even a distant croak or chirp from any of the wildlife; it was as if the entire swamp was holding its breath.

"Patience and training," Yoda repeated, tossing Luke's lightsaber back to him. "Now, eat we must. Much there is to be done."

And with that, Yoda slowly trudged back towards his hut as if nothing had happened. The sounds of Dagobah returned and Luke was left remembering about Yoda's promise: _You will be afraid_.

On his very first day of training, he had certainly kept his promise.

* * *

**And there we are! What did you think? Loved it? Hated it? As long as it's constructive and respectful I'd love to hear it.**

**Until next time!**


	24. A Different Path

**Hey there everyone! For some reason, I felt really pumped and motivated to write fanfic stories so this chapter comes much sooner than I'm sure anyone would have expected. Just over a week for a chapter is pretty unnatural :)**

**It was a lot of fun writing this one, Yoda is amongst my favorite characters and the whole arc on Dagobah is great in the OT. He has so many memorable lines that establish to firmly what the Force is etc. I just really love Yoda and all the crazy happenings that take place on his swampy little planet.**

**Thank you so much for the reception of the last chapter, it truly meant a lot to receive so many supportive comments. Speaking of which, how about we answer them:**

**-RKF22: Thank you so much! Ask and ye shall receive.**

**-Guest: That was actually what inspired this moment. I was always blown away by the cutscenes (or short films… not sure) of Star Wars the Old Republic, and the moment where Satale blocks a lightsaber strike was epic! I did some research and it's actually an ability that falls under the same umbrella as Yoda's Force lightning block called **_**Tutaminis**_**. Since Yoda is amongst the most powerful and knowledgeable Jedi to have ever lived, it would indeed make sense for him to have mastered this ability to the point of being able to stop lightsaber blades.**

**-Jeda31: Thank you so so much! Your praise means a lot, I particularly enjoyed working on this chapter. Yoda is easily one of my favorite characters, how his power and wisdom is unparalleled despite the fact he is technically no longer in his prime. Any time he drops hard truths to his students, whether with words or through actions, always brought me great joy. I hope to allow him to shine bright as the chapters progress, while still staying true to who Yoda is at his core. I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you for your continuing support.**

**-mundanebeast: Of course. No matter his age, Yoda will always be the GOAT. **

**-Bountyhunter1977: I share your sentiments… This version of Luke certainly seems different from his OG counterpart. I hope he will be able to stick to the path…**

**-JumpingToaster: Vader already knew that Luke was his son, since way back in the early chapters, which feeds his festering resentment towards Obi-Wan.**

**Alrighty! That's all the reviews for chapter 23, so without further ado, I give you chapter 24. I hope you enjoy it, please follow, favorite and comment if you do, I read every single one. Even if you disliked something, please tell me what and why in a constructive and respectful way. I'm always looking to improve my writing.**

**Enjoy chapter 24!**

* * *

Luke focused on his inner peace, clearing his mind of any distractions. The past few days had been such a jumbled mess of emotions it felt strange to experience complete serenity. Luke knew it had something to do with the planet. Dagobah possessed a connection to the Force, unlike anything he had ever felt.

Luke had been meditating for several hours now. He could sense Yoda silently watching him nearby, sensing his feelings as Luke focused more and more on his connection to the Force.

He was able to sense the Force signatures of the animals on Dagobah. He recognized the presence of the large sea creature that had tried to eat R2 in the bog, as well as some large reptiles several miles away. All of these Force presences were becoming sharper, to the point where Luke could even begin to make out the energy within the plants and minerals.

This sensation was completely surreal and foreign to him. Luke had had no idea it was possible to delve so deep within the Force to the point you were able to sense lifeforms that were on the other side of the planet.

"Good…," Yoda whispered slowly. "Delve deeper. Feel the Force's presence around you."

Luke silently obeyed, focusing on the Force presence of a flying creature near them. As he zeroed in on it, his sight began to blur and shift. Luke was unsure what he was being shown until the vision cleared and he made out the wing, snout, and long members of a… _Bogwing_. The name of the creature suddenly popped into his head even though he's never seen or heard of this species before.

Luke was enthralled by his deepening connection to the Force. He concentrated on the Bogwing and his vision shifted again; he was seeing through its eyes as it soared across the skies of Dagobah.

"Hmmm, very good," Yoda acknowledged, nodding his head reflectively. "A connection to all living things, a Jedi shares. Understand his place among them, a Jedi must."

Luke nodded, keeping his mind focused on his meditation. He shifted his gaze away from the Bogwing's and let the Force guide him across Dagobah, through its foggy marshes and lush forests, encountering all sorts of plants and animals. This freedom and peace was an entirely new dimension of the Force that Luke was discovering.

As Yoda watched his student discover the true grandeur of the Force, he could not help feeling some happiness at seeing Luke progress so well. The feeling that something might go terribly wrong had not left his mind, but right now, he was glad that the young man was learning to appreciate and respect the beauty of the living Force.

"If a Jedi you are to become, know our Code you must," Yoda said. "Taught you Obi-Wan has, hmmm?"

"Yes, master," Luke replied slowly, keeping his eyes closed and his mind on the present task. "It was one of the first things he taught me. I engraved it on a necklace my grandmother used to own so that it would always be with me."

Yoda's ridged brow raised up in surprise. He looked closer at Luke's neck and indeed saw a pendant hanging around it. It represented a beautiful bird in flight, with minuscule writings carved along its back. Each letter was so small it must have taken an untold amount of time and patience to manage to engrave them all so precisely.

_Hmmm, patience he possesses, _Yoda reflected. _But lose track of it easily, he does. Learn to live in the present, he must, if he is to break away from destiny's path…_

Yoda returned his attention to Luke, putting aside his worries and focusing on the present. After all, it would not be right if he did not follow his own teachings.

"Repeat the Code, Skywalker," Yoda asked, stepping closer to the young man.

"There is no emotion, there is peace." Luke recited.

He felt the Force's power call to him as he delved deeper and deeper into the life force of Dagobah. Luke was beginning to sense the entire planet's energy.

"There is no ignorance, there is knowledge."

As Luke felt the pulse of the planet beating in his mind, a strange presence, which he had not felt before, called out to him. Somewhere on the planet, he could almost hear a voice speaking to him in his vision.

"There is no passion, there is serenity."

Luke followed the voice, trying to pick up its faint and unreadable Force presence. He was unable to sense anything familiar about it as it led him into a misty grove surrounded by gnarltrees. One of them seemed to have an entrance to a cave between its roots; Luke sensed the voice was calling to him from there. He could almost make out its words…

"There is no… chaos… there is… harmony."

As Luke moved closer to the cave, he felt a strange chill run over his body; a cold feeling that affected his body through his vision. The voice in his head was getting louder; its words growing clearer; its faint Force presence becoming dark and menacing.

A dark energy began to seep out the cave, drawing Luke towards it. He tried to fight against it but it just kept pulling him closer. He could no longer sense any of the Force energy on Dagobah; hid mind was clouded with confusion.

When the voice spoke, its tone was grave and teaming with malice. Its words came straight out of Luke's mouth:

"_Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me—"_

Suddenly, Luke's vision of the cave disappeared and he opened his eyes wide, gasping for air as if he'd just held his breath for too long. The cold feeling still lingered on his skin, even as the voice had gone completely silent.

Luke looked up to see Yoda standing over him, his arm extended towards him, an indiscernible look in his eyes. The young man could feel the old master's Force energy wash over him from his outstretched hand, allowing him to bring his emotions back under control and reestablish his connection to the Force which had been severed.

"What was that?" Luke asked slowly, trying to keep himself from shivering.

"The Dark Side," Yoda replied simply as he picked up his gimmer stick. "Temptation is the first step towards following its path. Easy to be seduced by its power."

"But it's here, on Dagobah, I could sense it," Luke wanted to explain what he had just experienced but was struggling to find the right words. "In a cave; under a gnarltree. What was that place?"

"Something all Jedi must face," Yoda replied somberly.

With that, the old master walked back towards his hut to prepare their dinner, while Luke desperately tried to get rid of the goosebumps still tingling on his flesh.

* * *

Mara kept a brisk but constant pace as she made her way towards Obi-Wan's cell. It had been risky but she had managed to set the surveillance cameras in his cell to a loop so her presence would not be known.

As she made her way towards the detention center, Mara saw a group of Imperial engineers and soldiers laughing and boasting about a news report they were watching. She already knew what it was; it had been the only news covered on the HoloNet for several days now: the capture of the Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The Empire's news networks kept showing the infamous picture of Obi-Wan chained down inside his cell, with a missing arm and tubes running in and out of his body. Across many systems, this news had bolstered the confidence of Imperial sympathizers, while news about the Rebel Alliance had slowly dwindled.

Mara finally reached Obi-Wan's cell. After making sure no one was around, she quickly slipped inside and shut the door behind her. Looking towards the imprisoned Jedi, it was not a pretty sight that greeted her. When Obi-Wan looked up towards her, his bright blue eyes were sunken in and had a sickly yellow tint from malnutrition. They no longer held that sparkle and glow which Mara had seen when she first entered his cell. He looked tired and old.

Mara stepped up to the rayshield, allowing Obi-Wan's eyes to focus on her and make out who she was. She could see the ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of his eyes, but with the sith hood covering his mouth, the gesture felt distant and incomplete.

"It is good to see you again," Obi-Wan voice was rasp and hoarse from dehydration; it was barely above a whisper. "I haven't received much company as of late."

"I had to wait until Vader left the _Executor_," Mara said. "He and Thrawn are focusing their attention on finding your friends on the _Millennium Faulcon_."

There was silence as Obi-Wan observed Mara thoughtfully.

"Why are you telling me this?" the old Jedi asked.

Mara said nothing as she decided how exactly to phrase what she had been experiencing.

"Ever since I last spoke to you I've been having these… visions," Mara explained slowly. "I was taken from my family at a very young age by the Emperor, I barely remember them. But now, when I sleep there are these… fragments; like lost memories. I remember I used to have a falling-star globe which my mother gave me. I see flashes of her and my father; their faces, their voices… I need someone to help me understand all of it."

"I understand," Obi-Wan replied, nodding slowly. "It seems you are beginning your journey on a different path. The Dark Side seeks to control the living Force; to bring it under its command in order to draw upon its power. Many Sith believed that in so doing they would be able to attain immortality. However, when you surrender yourself to the Force, let it guide you and trust in its will, it may show you things you have forgotten, or cannot see, or have yet to see."

"You mean it can show you the future?" Mara asked in disbelief.

"In a sense. It may show you glimpses of events to come; premonitions of sorts. But the future is always changing, it isn't set in stone. Never forget: destiny is what we make for ourselves."

"I understand… I think," Mara said slowly. These dreams had been so unexpected; her sleep was never usually so pleasant and comforting.

"What are you thinking about?" Obi-Wan asked with a knowing smile.

Mara stayed silent for a few more seconds before gazing back into the old Jedi's eyes and answering:

"I've decided I want to help you escape."

Obi-Wan observed her closely, his ill-looking eyes becoming sharper. He could not sense her Force signature, but he trusted his instincts which told him she was being sincere.

"You should fully realize what you are risking by doing this," Obi-Wan said. "If you choose to go through with this, you must accept to fully turn away from the path you have walked since childhood. Are you prepared?"

Mara did not falter or let her gaze waver. The conflict had been stirring inside her for a long time but now her decision was clear.

"I am no longer afraid. The Force will be my guide, and I trust in the Force."

"Are you prepared to follow the way of the Jedi?" Obi-Wan continued. "To stand for freedom, justice, and peace? To have the patience and the commitment to unlearn your previous teachings and start down a new road?"

"I am ready."

"It is not the best of places to do this," Obi-Wan said humorously. "But I will give you the code by which a Jedi must live. Remember it and always keep it in your heart."

Mara nodded, kneeling in front of the ray shield she laid her hand against it and concentrated on Obi-Wan's words which she repeated:

"_Emotion, yet peace._

_Ignorance, yet knowledge._

_Passion, yet serenity._

_Chaos, yet harmony._

_Death, yet the Force."_

Once she finished reciting the Code, Mara rose to her feet. Obi-Wan's eyes seemed to have regained some of their shine.

"I want you to listen very carefully, Mara," the old Jedi spoke evenly. "I believe I have a plan to get out of here. I will explain everything, but first, there are things you need to know."

Obi-Wan's explanation lasted only a couple minutes, after which Mara quickly left the detention center and went to turn the security cameras back on. She was still reeling from everything Obi-Wan had shared with her, and what his plan actually consisted of.

* * *

Grand Moff Thrawn impassively watched as the Star Destroyer he was in chased the _Millennium Faulcon _through an asteroid field. After losing track of their ship for some time, it had suddenly reappeared on their scanners.

"Sir, we're coming out of the asteroid field," a lieutenant said as he kept a close eye on his monitors. "They're powering up their hyperdrive! We're going to lose them!"

Thrawn said nothing. He kept his eyes locked on the circular grey shape of the _Millennium Faulcon_. If their hyperdrive was fully functional, then there was nothing they could do to stop them from escaping. But if his guess had been right…

"Their hyperdrive is powering down! It must be damaged!"

Thrawn allowed the corner of his lips to flick up with pride. If the _Faulcon_'s hyperdrive had been functional, it stood to reason they would have used it to escape a long time ago. The time during which the ship was off the radar could have been enough time for Han Solo and his crew members to fix the hyperdrive, but Thrawn had determined the odds to be well in his favor. Repairing a hyperdrive was no simple feat.

"Continue firing on their main engines," Thrawn ordered the gunners. "Be ready to activate the tractor beam as soon as they are in range."

To think that Vader had gathered some of the best bounty hunters in the galaxy just a few hours ago to find the _Millennium Faulcon_. It would be ironic if the chase were to be over so soon.

Thrawn had extensively researched the _Millennium Faulcon_, as well as its captain, Han Solo. It appeared the ship was much like the man. Unassuming at first glance but full of surprises and hidden weapons. Thrawn knew he was unlikely to let his ship be taken without some resistance.

Thrawn was not disappointed when the _Millennium Faulcon_ performed a full 180° turn and accelerated straight towards his Star Destroyer.

"They're moving to attack position," captain Needa muttered incredulously. "Shields up!"

Thrawn, again, remained silent. He kept his eyes locked on the scanners, which showed the blinking dot, representing the _Millennium Faulcon_, moving closer and closer to them. Just as it flew over the bridge and overlapped exactly with the center of the scanners, the blinking dot suddenly disappeared.

"Track them! They may come around for another pass," captain Needa quickly ordered.

Thrawn took several steps back, holding his chin in reflection as the other officers around him tried to understand what had happened.

"Captain Needa," one of his lieutenants called to him. "The ship no longer appears on our scopes."

"They can't have disappeared," Needa mumbled, his face completely flustered. "No ship that small has a cloaking device."

_You incompetent imbecile_, Thrawn thought to himself as he continued to slowly pace back and forth in the center of the bridge.

"Captain," a technician said to Needa. "Lord Vader demands an update on the pursuit."

A tense silence followed his remark as everyone looked towards Needa expectantly. The latter was nervously trying to keep his hands from trembling.

"Tell him we are still pursuing the _Millennium Faulcon_," Thrawn spoke up, loud enough for everyone on the bridge to hear. "And that we will soon have them in our clutches."

"Sir, they've disappeared from our scanners," Needa nervously piped up, avoiding Thrawn's piercing red eyes. "How can we expect to find them— "

"What are the possibilities regarding what may have happened to the _Millennium Faulcon_?" Thrawn cut him off, stepping closer to Needa.

"Sir… I don't understand— "

"We have determined that their hyperdrive is damaged, therefore we know they did not jump to lightspeed. As you've stated the likelihood such a small ship would house a cloaking device is quite small. Therefor…?"

Seeing Needa's confused and bewildered face aggravated Thrawn to not end. It always depressed him that the Empire allowed barely competent men to become senior officers simply because their family possessed wealth or political influence.

"It must still be here, sir."

Thrawn turned away from Needa, trying to find who had spoken.

"Who said that?"

"I did, sir."

Thrawn looked down into the pits to see a thirty-year-old Twi'lek standing to attention beside his turret controls. Thrawn turned a piercing gaze towards him and was impressed when the latter did not even flinch.

"Very good," Thrawn acknowledged with a smile. "They are still here and their ship has been powered down so as to not be detectable by our scanners."

"It's possible they've attached themselves to our hull, sir," the Twi'lek completed his train of thought.

While all the officers looked at the gunner with loathing and resentment, Thrawn nodded at his sharp mind.

"What is your name?"

"Orphus Satili, sir."

"Is there a way for us to see where they are on our hull without them knowing it?"

"We use small droids to perform maintenance on the cannons. I can send them out to search; their energy signatures are so small they would never spot them."

"Excellent. Proceed."

As the Twi'lek started activating the maintenance droids, captain Needa approached Thrawn with a nervous look.

"Sir, you shouldn't encourage such individualistic behavior," the captain whispered. "Taking advice from a lowly gunner when you are Grand Moff is— "

"I assure you, captain, your opinion concerning my behavior in this matter is quite irrelevant to me," Thrawn snapped back without even looking at him. "I value competence far above rank or distinction. Which is the exact reason why your presence on this bridge is currently of less value to me than mister Satili's."

Needa was completely stumped. He desperately tried to formulate a response, but Orphus Satili spoke before he could:

"Sir, I've found them. They've attached their ship to the back of the bridge."

"It appears they are even closer than we thought," Thrawn said with amusement. "Use those droids to attach a tracking device to their hull. Once done, unload our trash collectors and move towards the rest of the fleet, that should give them an incentive to detach."

"Sir, we're not going to capture them?" Needa spoke up in disbelief.

"Captain, when you find a rat, do you kill it or let it guide you back to its pack?" Thrawn's tone was clipped and laced with cruel intensity. "Now, go report to Lord Vader how you would have let the _Millennium Faulcon _escape had it not been for mister Satili's intervention."

"Sir, I don't— "

"Either you tell him yourself, captain, or I will. Do not worry. I am sure Lord Vader will be much readier to forgive your incompetence."

With a submissive salute, Needa left the bridge under the furtive glances of his entire crew. Once he was gone, Thrawn turned around to address everyone:

"We will closely track the _Millennium Faulcon's_ movements and keep all ships on standby. Captain Satili is now commands of this ship. Somebody get him the appropriate uniform and find someone to take his old post unless mister Needa somehow returns here."

With that, Grand Moff Thrawn left the bridge and made his way to the main hangar. His personal shuttle was waiting to take him to his meeting with the Emperor.

* * *

Luke maintained his focus on the Force as he climbed up a slippery vine while carrying Yoda on his back. His muscles were aching badly but he kept the pain at bay by letting the Force wash it away.

As he reached the top of the tree, Luke focused his mind and sharpened his senses to find the fastest route through the branches. He swung on a vine, slid down the fallen trunk of a gnarltree before jumping off of it, and continuing to run through the swamps and forests of Dagobah.

"Yes! Run!" Yoda spoke from behind his shoulders.

Luke deepened his connection to the Force, enhancing his movements so that his speed increased even more. His reflexes were also superhuman, allowing him to jump over tree roots that would have tripped him over and dodge low hanging vines.

"Yes… A Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware of the Dark Side. Anger, fear aggression… The Dark Side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan's apprentice."

Luke came to a halt, panting hard as he caught his breath.

"Vader," Luke said, lost in thought. He had tried to forget about the menacing figure he'd last seen onboard the Death Star. What he had sensed from him had felt strangely familiar, and that fact alone unsettled him. "Is the Dark Side stronger?"

"No! No…" Yoda answered quickly. "No. Quicker, easier, more seductive."

"But how am I to know the good side from the bad?" Luke asked in confusion. He could not help remembering the times he'd felt a surge of power only to realize later he had taped in to the Dark Side.

"You will know, when you are calm, at peace; passive," Yoda spoke slowly, gripping Luke's shoulders with his claws. "A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack."

Luke was still struggling to wrap his mind around this. Since he was a member of the Rebel Alliance, he had always considered himself a soldier; and a soldier's job was, by definition, to attack.

"But tell me why I can't— "

"No, no. There is no why," Yoda cut him off sharply. "Nothing more will I teach you today. Clear your mind of questions… Hmmm…"

Luke did as he was told, letting his worries and hesitations dissolve into the Force, trying to find serenity within himself.

Luke put down the backpack he was carrying Yoda in and went to put his shirt back on. As he looked around the small clearing they were in, a sudden realization hit him. A familiar-looking gnarltree with roots that led into a cave…

"That tree," he pointed it out to Yoda who simply looked on impassively. "I saw it in my vision. And this feeling…"

It was like a cold wind blew through the clearing, making the hairs on Luke's arms stand up. The sensation was exactly the same as in his vision.

"That place…" Yoda spoke, pointing his gimmer stick towards the gnarltree. "Is strong with the Dark Side of the Force. A domain of evil it is. In you must go."

Luke was not reassured by how Yoda formulated that sentence. The cold was now accompanied by a growing tension in his gut; his senses were warning him that this cave was dangerous.

"What's in there?" Luke asked.

"Only what you take with you," Yoda replied solemnly.

The old master slowly traced patterns in the earth with the end of his gimmer stick, his Force presence completely invisible. Luke could tell Yoda was closely watching how he would react. He was being tested; this cave was a trial he had to face if he was to become a Jedi.

Steeling his nerves, Luke picked up his weapon's belt and was about to tie it around his waist when Yoda's voice halted him:

"Your weapons; you will not need them."

Luke looked back towards the old hermit in disbelief. After everything he had sensed and seen about this cave Yoda seriously expected him to enter it unarmed? Luke trusted the old master's wisdom, but this time he preferred to listen to his gut: he needed his weapons.

Luke fastened his belt securely and prudently advanced towards the base of the gnarltree. Each step he took immediately disappeared under the thick layer of fog that puddled around the roots of the tree.

Luke could hear R2's worried beeps behind him but he kept his gaze riveted forwards. Step by step, and almost crushing a large iguana hiding under the fog, he entered the cave.

He had managed to get used to the cold by now. Luke could still feel it but it no longer distracted him as much as before. He descended a couple of stone steps that led to a narrow pathway beneath the roots of the gnarltree. There were no signs of life down here; just the cold and a growing uneasiness in Luke's gut.

He carefully advanced down the path, keeping his reflexes attuned for any lurking dangers. Just as he reached a small alcove, he saw something. A figure draped in a dark cloak was lying prone on the ground.

Luke could not sense any signs of life as he kneeled next to the body and rolled it over to see who it was. He jumped back in terror: it was Ahsoka! Her face was pale and covered in greyish veins; her eyes were lifeless but glowed yellow like twin suns.

"Ahsoka?" Luke spoke slowly, reaching out to touch her face.

Just as his fingers grazed her cheek, she surged to life, grabbing his wrist; at the same time, Luke felt a gnarled hand grab his ankle. Looking back, he saw Ezra, dressed in similar dark robes, with the same pale face and glowing eyes.

When Ahsoka and Ezra spoke, their voices came as one hoarse, pleading voice:

"_Tell us… Are you the Chosen One?_"

As soon as they had uttered this sentence, both their bodies went limp and dissolved into dust, which was blown away by a sudden cold wind. Luke barely had time to understand what was happening when a distant sound of lightsaber clashing captured his attention. Two people were fighting somewhere further down the path.

Without thinking, Luke got up and ran forward. As he turned a bend, Han and Chewbacca laid on either side of his path, mangled and bloodied.

They turned their empty gazes towards him and spoke in that same pleading voice:

"_We can help you save them…_"

Luke tore his eyes away from them and kept running, eyes down, just focusing on the sounds of lightsabers getting louder and louder.

Finally, at a turn in the path, Luke found the origin of these sounds, and what he saw horrified him. Darth Vader was blocking the way forward, holding his crimson lightsaber, and dueling against… Leia. She held a blue lightsaber and desperately tried to break Vader's defense, but to no avail; his power completely dominated hers.

As Luke moved forward to intervene, Vader twisted Leia's saber out of her grip and cut off her hand with a flick of his blade. She fell to the ground, crying and clutching her wrist in agony.

Leia turned towards Luke, tears in her eyes, with the same raspy and desperate tone:

"_You were my brother, Luke! I loved you!_"

Luke reached out towards her, but before he could, Vader brought his lightsaber down onto her, killing her instantly. Luke felt the familiar boil in his gut as he activated his lightsaber and engaged Vader in combat.

He was unable to even form a coherent plan of attack; Luke wanted to kill Vader, simple as that. He felt imbued with a supernatural amount of strength that allowed him to push the Dark Lord back with each blow he deflected.

Vader was only able to defend, Luke left him no opening for an attack. Eventually, his opponent was backed against the walls of the cave. Luke felt his body move on its own as he deftly sliced both of Vader's hands off and grabbed his red lightsaber as it flew through the air.

The Dark Lord was beaten and crumbled to his knees before Luke. He held both lightsabers inches away from his dark helmet, watching the blue and red reflection on the polished surface between the yellow glimmer of his own eyes.

A small voice in the back of his head was holding him back from doing what he was raring to do. Luke's blades hovered next to Vader's throat but he was unable to carry the action out.

Luke's attention was drawn away by a low and ominous cackle that echoed through the cave. From behind Vader, a hooded figure stepped out of the shadows, its voice familiar yet unnatural:

"_Why not let him go? Let him die… and you can stop all that I will do…_"

Luke tried to remember his teachings; that a Jedi was never to strike a defeated enemy. He knew he should not kill Vader, but the knowledge of what his death would mean for the safety of the galaxy told him that this sacrifice was necessary.

In one swift movement, Luke decapitated Vader with his two lightsabers; a strident echo filled the cave before being replaced with an eerie stillness. Luke extinguished the weapons and watched the Dark Lord's head roll to his feet.

A small flash split apart the front of Vader's mask. As the smoke cleared, Luke could see what was underneath it and he was petrified with fear when he saw his own face looking back at him.

The cloaked figure stepped forward to stand over Vader's body, its face still shrouded in shadows.

"_You have fulfilled your destiny, Luke_," the mysterious man muttered gleefully. "_Now, come take your place as my apprentice_."

As Luke looked towards him, the figure removed its hood and revealed its face. What he saw broke his heart more than anything else he had seen. He saw the grinning face of his old master, Obi-Wan, draped in sith robes, eyes tainted yellow, beckoning him to stand by his side…

* * *

**Done! Everyone breathe… I know there were some controversial things in here but please understand it's just my interpretation of SW and its characters.**

**I trust that many OG Star Wars fans will have recognized some iconic lines sprinkled throughout. Those things just tickle my bone, I can't stop using them. So sue me! I think they're epic!**

**And the line "you were my brother", remember, just like when Obi-Wan said it to Anakin it does not have to be taken literally. I will reiterate, just so we're clear. I'm sorry for ruining any subtlety but I don't want people to come saying "oh that was such a cheap way to reveal Luke knowing Leia is his sister": HE STILL DOES NOT KNOW! There is such a thing as being "closer than brothers/sisters". So yeah… sorry to those who knew this was not to be taken literally but I needed to make sure no one got the wrong impression.**

**I hoped you liked the brief return of Grand Moff Thrawn. I'm sure some people will have an objection to him naming some random gunner as captain, but again, this is just my opinion. Considering there are many idiots amongst the ranks of the Imperial officers, it doesn't feel entirely implausible that Thrawn would promote someone who shares his analytical mind and outside-the-box thinking. Plus, it just felt cool…**

**We're approaching Cloud City guys… the place where… stuff happens pretty much. I get more and more psyched as we approach the climax of this entire fanfic. The battle of Endor and whatnot is still far away but I already have a pretty clear picture for how I want it all to pan out…**

**Anyway, enough rambling. I hope you liked this chapter, and please favorite, follow, and comment. It means a lot.**

**See you next week (if all goes well… don't quote me ;-)**


	25. Trust

**Hello, hello everyone!**

**Chapter 25! Can you believe it? Feels strange, I've nearly surpassed the number of chapters of my first fanfic and I feel there's still so much to tell in this one… Oooooh, I'm excited!**

**Happy May the 4****th****, although a bit late, sorry about that. Hopefully, this chapter still gives you your fill of Star Wars goodness.**

**Let's just answer last chapter's comments straight away:**

**-Shurukkah: Thank you! Very happy to hear you say that. He's a very fun character to write dialogue for. I can just picture his voice from SW Rebels in my head, and all the words just seem to fall into place. Truly an iconic tactician and enemy of SW, and if they managed to make him work in a live-screen adaptation that could be sick!**

**-RKF22: Yeah we haven't seen much of good old Obi-Wan recently… But don't worry, as we reach the climax, his moment will come. May the Force be with you.**

**-Bountyhunter1977: Thank you for all your ideas! Just a quick thing, Mara and Obi-Wan are onboard the **_**Executor**_**, Vader's Super Star Destroyer, while the **_**Millennium Falcon **_**just latched on to a regular Star Destroyer. I have some ideas for the lightsaber situations, though not involving who you might be thinking… anyway, that will come in good time ;)**

**-DarthDrachonus: Thanks so much! I'm glad to still be able to surprise people even when retreading events they've already seen in the movies.**

**-Jeda31: It warms my heart to hear you say all of this, truly! These recent chapters, including this one, have been a real joy to write, and seeing that all the hard work paid off makes it all worth it. You've laid a finger on some interesting ideas for what's to come, but I'll let you discover them when they come up… you might be in for a surprise… ;)**

**-SpencerBrown: Very happy to hear you're enjoying the story and that those added lines don't distract too much from it. Of course, I couldn't resist and there are at least two lines/references peppered into the dialogue of this chapter (more or less).**

**-mundanebeast: I agree that Thrawn never did things conventionally or followed "what was right". He knows how to trust his instincts and can recognize talent when he sees it. I won't say anything about your predictions for future events, you'll get your answers in this chapter and the next ;)**

**-Yepyep: I also had a similar reaction when researching what the Jedi Code consisted of. The original one which Yoda uses is definitely quite strongly worded, while the one Obi-Wan uses is more balanced. Certainly, there was an issue amongst the Jedi where they applied certain rules and mantras too directly, which, it can be argued, is part of the reason Sidious was able to gain a foothold. The Jedi became blinded by their adherence to the strict Code and could not foresee the threat of Palpatine.**

**From here we can start talking about Grey Jedi, who were basically seen as the middle ground between Sith and Jedi, although that also poses its own problems. If I were to make a basic analogy, imagine a situation where many innocent lives were in danger (in a fire, or building collapsing, or whatever). The Sith would only care about getting himself to safety and obviously would not care about anyone else. The Jedi would do everything within his power to save everyone, as many people as he/she could even if it meant sacrificing their own lives. And the Grey Jedi would still try to save people but he would be pragmatic and logical, entirely willing to accept sacrificing a few innocent lives for the greater good… It's not at all a great analogy, but that's sort of how I rationalized the distinctions.**

**Alright! Thank you for all these awesome reviews, glad to see this story continues to hold your interest!**

**Without further ado, I'll leave you with chapter 25. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. Please favorite, follow, and comment, it helps me out a lot!**

* * *

Luke kept his mind focused on the Force. Since having those visions inside the cave, Luke's mind had had the tendency to wander. He knew it had all been inside his head but that did not reassure him much. Ultimately, he was more concerned about how he reacted to the visions rather than the visions themselves.

Several days had passed since then, and Luke had managed to keep himself from dwelling on it since the day started. Right now he was blindfolded and letting the Force heighten his other senses. He was able to sense Yoda moving around him, making the barest of noises as he dragged his feet along the dirt.

"Deceive you your eyes can," Yoda spoke softly. "One of Obi-Wan's first lessons to you this was. Imperfect all of our senses are. In a way, a perfect sense the Force is. A Jedi without sight, touch, hearing, smell, taste, still a Jedi he is. However, a Jedi without the Force is a Jedi no longer."

Luke said nothing; he simply focused on deepening his connection to the Force as Yoda had asked him. The old master had yet to reveal what the purpose of this exercise was but Luke knew better than to ask. The answer was most likely to be a slap from Yoda's gimmer stick.

"Remember Obi-Wan's training," Yoda continued. "When your eyes abandoned you, returned them the Force did. You must learn to let it guide you. Still holding back you are. Remember when you deflected the lasers, how the Force guided your movements."

Luke remembered that moment quite well. It had been the very first time he had experienced a connection to the Force. When Obi-Wan had put the blast shielded helmet over his eyes he had been unwilling to believe he would be able to deflect anything without seeing what he was hitting.

Then suddenly, like a switch, Luke had been able to sense the training remote's presence and where its shots were going to hit. His body had moved on its own and he had deflected the stun bolt perfectly. That connection had lasted for a few seconds before immediately disappearing, and now, thanks to Yoda, he was getting able to maintain that connection for much longer.

"When I held your lightsaber blade in my hand," Yoda's voice brought Luke's attention back to the present. "Know how I did it do you?"

"I'm not sure," Luke replied. "Did you shield your hand with the Force so it wouldn't hurt you?"

"The Force was my shield, but not in this sense," Yoda replied. "_Tutaminis_ is this ability's name. Allow you to dissipate or absorb energy it can; even redirect it. Allow you to defend yourself it will, and in time, learn to unlock its full power you will."

Luke nodded. He had been completely taken off-guard when Yoda had held his blade like it were nothing. If he was able to stop a lightsaber, then blasters must be an easy feat for him. Luke could not help wondering if this ability would have been powerful enough to deflect the Death Star's super laser… If somehow Obi-Wan, Yoda, Rham Kota and Galen Marek had been on Alderaan, would they have somehow been able to stop it from being destroyed?

"Faith in the Force this ability requires," Yoda continued. "Trust you must, that it will protect you and not doubt when you call upon its power. That is exactly what you must learn. Do not trust your weapons, do not trust your senses, trust in the Force."

After saying this, Yoda's presence completely disappeared, Luke could no longer make out where he was around him. What he could make out was the distinct sound of a Marksman-H training remote being activated.

Before Luke could grasp why it had been activated, he was given his answer when a low power stun bolt hit him square in the stomach. It surprised him more than it hurt him; he was able to concentrate on the Force to keep the pain at the bay, but Luke was still confused about where the shot had come from and where the remote was now.

"Surrender yourself to the Force," Yoda's voice echoed around him. "Trust in its power and protect you it will. Hold back, and help you it will not."

Luke lowered his center of gravity to try to be more mobile. His first goal was to find the remote. The sudden jolt from the stun bolt had made him lose his bearings. He focused on the Force, trying to find the remote; only for it to shoot him in the shoulder, disrupting his concentration.

"Do not think, react," Yoda urged. "Use your instincts. The remote matters not, where it will hit does."

Luke wanted to tell him to be clearer about what he meant but he held his tongue. Reading between the lines was par for the course with Master Yoda. Luke needed to come up with the solution himself.

He stayed mobile on his feet to make it harder for the remote to hit him. Luke was trying to sense where it was but he realized since it wasn't a living thing, was it even possible? He could not sense the Force signature of a droid… Then maybe he needed to sense the air around it and deduce where it was flying…

His train of thought was again cut short by a bolt that grazed the side of his leg. This time Yoda did not say anything else to help him. Luke was on his own.

_What could he be saying_? Luke wondered. _ The remote doesn't matter, only where it will hit…_

Another stun bolt hit his arm; the shots were getting much more frequent. If he was unable to find the answer he would be overwhelmed by a swarm of attacks. The pain from the stun lingered on his skin, leading Luke's mind to wonder…

_Only where it will hit…_

Luke drew a deep breath to center his emotions before ignoring the training remote completely. He stopped trying to sense the Force around him, and instead focused on the Force energy within himself.

It was a strange feeling to sense his own Force presence. It was like hearing his own breathing or the blood pumping through his veins; it pulsated along the same beat as his vital organs; it was essentially his life energy.

This time, when the remote fired a stun bolt, he sensed the shift in his body's Force energy, and, on instinct, twisted his body and dodged the shot which hit the stump of a tree behind him.

Luke could not keep the grin off his face. He was able to sense the attacks that were coming, now he just needed to somehow deflect them. He cleared his mind of any distractions, only focusing on his own Force presence.

Luke could only sense his body, everything else on Dagobah seemed to disappear. This brought him great serenity as all the sounds around him disappeared; even the smell of the air and the goosebumps on his skin were completely absent. It was just Luke and the Force.

This time when the stun bolt fired, his body acted on its own. Luke raised his palm out in front of him and felt a surge of power flow into it, deflecting the bolt before immediately disappearing.

That one deflection was all Luke could manage. His legs suddenly gave out from under him as his senses reemerged. He took off the blindfold and squinted his eyes, slowly adjusting to the sudden change.

Looking behind him, Luke saw a smoking hole in the ground where the stun bolt had hit. He had deflected it; Luke could not believe it. He looked towards Yoda who nodded approvingly.

"Aware of the Force around him a Jedi is," the old master said. "But never forget the Force within him he must."

"I understand, master," Luke said with a small bow.

The young man felt like he had just been handed another key towards finally becoming a Jedi.

* * *

Thrawn was impressed with the progress that had been made on the Death Star II. The shield generator on the nearby moon of Endor had just finished being constructed, so the battle station was now safely protected from any incoming attacks.

The super laser was still not operational however since the giant kyber crystal required to power it had been much harder to obtain than was initially expected. The Emperor's spies had found a suitable crystal on a primitive planet, far away from the Deep Core, which was worshiped by a tribe of semi-sentient humanoid lifeforms.

They had resisted the Empire's invasion surprisingly well, meaning the crystal had yet to be delivered to the Death Star II, thereby delaying other construction plans. Thrawn had no doubt the kyber crystal would eventually be obtained, it was just a matter of how soon.

He suspected that the Emperor was going to put him in charge of bringing the crystal back as quickly as possible, but if that were the case, he would have simply communicated with him via hologram. The fact he had been asked to come to the Death Star II in person meant something big was afoot.

Thrawn kept his curiosity in check as he rode the elevator up to the Emperor's throne room. The doors swished open to reveal the familiar space, which was now fully furnished and decorated since the last time he had visited it. He imagined that the entirely black design of the room made his immaculate white uniform stand out like a sore thumb, but Thrawn could not care less.

As he walked up to the Emperor's throne and bowed to him respectfully, he noticed Grand Admiral Tarkin standing off to the side, conferring with Mas Amedda as the pair looked over some datapads.

"I've heard that the _Millennium Falcon_ and its crew will soon be under our control," the Emperor said approvingly. "Well done, Grand Moff Thrawn. All the pieces are coming together; just as I have foreseen it."

"I am sure Lord Vader will have no trouble capturing Captain Solo, Princess Leia, and their other crewmates on Cloud City," Thrawn replied. "And if your instincts are correct, capturing Skywalker will be easy enough when he comes to rescue them."

"It is more than mere instincts, my friend," Palpatine spoke sardonically. " With Kenobi removed, destroying the Rebellion and turning Skywalker will be an easy feat."

Thrawn was aware of all of this, and while the Emperor enjoyed reveling in a well-executed plan, he would not bring his best military leader away from the front lines for such trivial boasting. Thrawn patiently waited for Palpatine to reveal the true reason for their meeting.

"I have decided to alter our plan concerning Kenobi," the Emperor revealed. "We will transfer him _here_ until the date of his execution."

"Was he not supposed to be key in bringing the Skywalker boy under your influence?"

"Unfortunately… it appears I underestimated him. His will is strong, and it is possible that his presence will embolden Skywalker rather than push him towards the edge. Better to keep Kenobi away from those who rely on him for strength, especially his newest student."

Thrawn was having trouble following the Emperor's line of thinking so he stayed silent to let him elaborate on what he was talking about:

"I sense that Mara Jade has moved away from the path I set her on… I believe she has fallen under Kenobi's influence: she has betrayed me."

Thrawn nodded slowly, assimilating this new information to pick his next words wisely. The same way he had chastised Needa for trying to capture the _Millennium Falcon_ as soon as he knew where it was, unmasking Mara Jade as a traitor right now would not be wise…

"We will have her accompany Lord Vader to capture the Rebels," Palpatine continued. "She will be unable to help Kenobi, and without his presence, she will easily return to me. Perhaps… we should see whether it is her or Skywalker who is most worthy to serve me."

Thrawn shared none of the Emperor's enthusiasm for manipulating new disciples but he respectfully bowed his head to show his compliance. Tarkin, who was no longer staring at a datapad, had moved up beside Thrawn and spoke in a clipped, businesslike tone:

"All of your specifications for Kenobi's cell have been put into place, my Emperor. Construction will begin immediately and should be finished within two days, ready for the prisoner's arrival."

"Excellent," Palpatine crooned maniacally. "Grand Moff Thrawn, you will oversee the efforts to obtain the kyber crystal for the superweapon. I will no longer tolerate any delays in construction. For too long, we have let petty nuisances stifle the growth of my Empire, but no more. Starting today, we will strike back without mercy."

"Yes, my Lord," both Tarkin and Thrawn said in unison. The latter turned around to head towards the exit, while the former returned his attention to his datapad.

As Thrawn rode the elevator back towards the hangar, he pushed away all information regarding the _Millennium Falcon_, Mara Jade, and everything associated with them. He had a new mission, and from now on, it was his only priority.

Thrawn would bring back the kyber crystal without fail, and with it, the most powerful weapon in the galaxy would finally be complete.

* * *

Leia could still not believe they had managed to successfully escape both an asteroid field and an Imperial Star Destroyer. Once again, Han had demonstrated why he was one of the most talented pilots in the Rebellion. To come up with the idea of attaching the_ Falcon_ to the bridge of a Star Destroyer was one thing, actually going through with it was another.

After losing the Empire, the trip all the way to Bespin had managed to remain uneventful. Although, as they entered the planet's atmosphere and approached Cloud City, the two security fighters that flew up on either side of the _Falcon_ seemed to suggest things were going to get eventful again.

"No. I don't have a landing permit," Han explained patiently over the comms. "I'm trying to reach Lando Calrissian."

Han barely had time to finish his sentence that the security vehicles fired warning shots in front of the _Millennium Falcon_.

"Wow wow! Wait a minute let me explain!"

"_You will not deviate from your present course,_" the voice over the comms ordered.

"Rather touchy aren't they," C3-PO noted drily.

"I thought you knew this person?" Leia asked Han skeptically.

"_The guy's a gambling mecanophile_," Chewie growled loudly in frustration. "_He's insane!_"

"That was a long time ago," Han shrugged. "I'm sure he's forgotten about that."

Leia was not reassured by this exchange in the slightest. She had the feeling the helping hand they were hoping to find was more likely to be a balled fist. Or perhaps a robot fist by the sound of things…

They followed the security crafts towards Cloud City, not saying a word until a voice over the comms said:

"_Permission granted. Land on platform 3-2-7."_

"Thank you," Han muttered, trying to remain polite. "There's nothing to worry about. We go way back Lando and me."

"Who's worried," Leia commented distractedly.

As Han brought the ship closer to Cloud City, the true scale and grandeur of the mining colony became apparent. Leia could not fathom how it was possible to even win such a thing in a gambling game? What did you wager to match something like this? This Lando was either insanely clever or just plain insane to make such a gamble in the first place. Leia did not know if she was eager to find out which was true.

As the _Millennium Falcon _reached its designated landing platform, the two security fighters that had been shadowing them peeled off to continue their patrol. Han extended the landing claws and set the ship down smoothly onto solid ground.

"Alright, no problem at all."

Leia could not help but smile at the way Han's voice communicated one thing, while his expression and body language seemed to say the exact opposite. She was also dubious about this place, although it did not concern whether or not Lando was truly their ally.

Leia had felt a strange tension in her gut since approaching Bespin. The feeling was very similar to when she sensed that Luke was in trouble on Hoth. She did not know if it had something to do with the Force or if it was just her intuition, but Leia felt it would be better if they prepared adequately before going out to meet Lando.

"Han, we should try to send out a message to the Alliance to let them know we're here."

The smuggler gave her a lopsided glance as if he had completely forgotten that the Rebel Alliance existed.

"What, and run the risk of having the Empire track us here?" Hand spoke incredulously. "No chance. Lando's entire goal with this place it to keep the Empire far away from his affairs. If one of our communications draws them here, I guarantee our old friendship won't get us very far."

"Han, between our safety and the economic prosperity of this Lando person, I think you know which one I'll choose."

Without waiting for Han's opinion, Leia shifted over to the communications array to try to get a transmission out. Han gave her a dismissive wave, leading Chewie and 3PO towards the ship's exit.

Leia's plan did not get very far. For some reason, she was unable to send any communications off of Bespin; she could only send them on the planet itself. It was entirely possible the_ Falcon_'s transmission dish was damaged, or, far more likely, someone was blocking them.

Deciding not to insist so as to not draw suspicion, Leia left an encrypted message on a coded Rebel frequency. If by some miracle an Alliance ship were to fly over Bespin they would hopefully receive her message.

Outside, the landing pad was completely empty, which C3-PO was sure to point out in a mock-hurt tone:

"Oh. No one to meet us."

As Leia stepped off the _Falcon_, the first thing that hit her was the omnipresent smell of Tibana gas. It wasn't overpowering or unpleasant; it just wafted through the air from the distant gas pockets below the colony.

"I've got a bad feeling about this."

Han turned back towards her with an impatient glare. This time when he spoke, his nervousness was audible:

"Look, princess, stop worrying. Everything's going to be fine. Trust me."

"I do trust you, Han. It's everyone else on this colony that worries me."

Han's features softened slightly. He placed a reassuring hand on Leia's shoulder, his voice now much calmer:

"I'll protect us. Everything will be just fine."

Han paused for a few seconds before adding quickly:

"I love you."

"I know," Leia replied with a loving smile before sharing a brief kiss with the smuggler. It was quickly interrupted when the doors at the end of the landing platform opened with a hiss.

A group of men began to walk towards the _Falcon_, leading Han to crack a knowing smile towards Leia.

"See? My friend."

Leia resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Han took a couple steps towards the approaching group, but stopped by Chewbacca to whisper:

"Keep your eyes open, huh."

"_And you be careful with him_," the Wookie growled back.

Han walked up to Lando and his entourage, keeping his posture relaxed and his expression friendly.

"Hey!" he greeted with a wave.

As Lando got closer, Leia was able to make out his features. It turned out her impression of him was not too far away from how he actually looked. His pencil mustache and finely woven clothes made him look like a dandy; as did the expensive-looking cape that billowed behind him.

Leia was relieved, at least until Lando spoke, his tone aggressive and accusing:

"Why you slimy, double-crossing, no-good swindler. You've got a lot of guts coming here after what you pulled."

Han froze in place, gesturing towards himself in disbelief. He searched his old friend's eyes, trying to determine if he was being serious, and how fast he could get his blaster out if he was.

Lando closed the gap between him and Han with slow, measured steps. The two men were a foot apart, eyes locked; each second of silence was like a lead weight being added on Han's shoulders.

Suddenly, Lando aimed a punch towards the smuggler's stomach, which the latter instinctively braced himself for. However, instead of hitting him, Lando quickly wrapped Han in a tight hug, letting out an energetic laugh.

"How you doing you old pirate! So good to see you," he exclaimed, brimming with childish excitement.

Leia heaved a small sigh of relief as the bald man behind Lando dismissed his security guards. Lando continued hammering Han with questions, like childhood friends who had not seen each other in years; which was not far from the truth.

"_Looks like we're on good terms_," Chewbacca growled towards Leia and C3-PO. "_For now_."

"Well, he seems very friendly," the protocol droid said happily.

Leia chose not to voice her opinions on Lando; charismatic and enthusiastic were not synonyms for honorable and trustworthy. She followed 3PO and Chewie as they approached the two friends.

"What are you doing here?" Lando asked in disbelief.

"Oh, repairs," Han said, gesturing towards the _Millennium Falcon_. "I thought you could help me out."

"What have you done to my ship?" Lando said with a suspicious glare.

"Your ship?" Han said in disbelief. "Hey, remember you lost her to me, fair and square."

Lando smirked, seemingly ignoring the comment, and looked over to Chewbacca.

"And how're you doing, Chewie?"

"_Still staying out of trouble_."

"You still hanging around with this loser?"

"_He has his good sides_."

As Leia approached the group, she could have bet money on how Lando would react to seeing her; she was not wrong.

"Well hello. Who do we have here?" Lando spoke suavely, loosening his posture, and pushing past Han to shake Leia's hand. "Welcome, I'm Lando Calrissian. I'm the administrator of this facility. And who might you be?"

"Leia," she replied curtly, remembering her diplomatic training when Lando kissed her hand without any sort of subtlety.

He barely had time to finish his advances that he was quickly separated from Leia by Han who firmly pushed him aside with a polite smile.

"Look, Lando, I—"

His sentence was cut short when Leia captured his lips in a quick, passionate kiss, before separating away from him as if nothing had happened.

"You old smoothie," Lando said with a knowing smile.

Han and Lando continued to banter and give news about each other as they moved away from the platform. Leia was alarmed to find the tension in her gut was only getting worse.

* * *

Luke used the Force to keep himself balanced as he did a handstand with only one arm, with Yoda perched on top of his feet. It was like focusing on three different tasks at once, but Luke was able to use the Force to help his movements.

"Yes," Yoda muttered. "Use the Force… Now: the stone."

Luke concentrated on one of the large flat rocks laying around him and used the Force to move it through the air to pile it onto another.

"Feel it…"

As Luke performed the task meticulously, he could hear the faint chattering of R2 in the distance. Since he was concentrated on his task he barely heard the little droid, but his incessant sounds eventually forced Luke to glance in his direction.

When he saw that his X-Wing, still sitting in the swamp, was sinking into the water, panic seized his body; his connection to the Force wavered: the stone toppled over, Luke's arms weakened, he lost his balance…

"Concentraaaate!" Yoda shrieked out as Luke let him fall off his perch.

The old master landed gracefully, using the Force to slow his fall, while Luke crumbled to the ground in a heap. He quickly jumped back to his feet and ran up to the edge of the swamp. Only the tip of one his X-Wings S-foils was peeking out from below the surface.

"No…," Luke cursed, trying to stay calm. "We'll never get it out now!"

"So certain are you?"

Luke looked back incredulously towards the old Jedi who simply stared back at him with disarming seriousness.

"Always with you what cannot be done," Yoda sighed disappointedly. "Hear you nothing that I say?"

"Master," Luke tried to take the edge out of his voice when he addressed Yoda. If he lost his ship on Dagobah, it would bring a whole host of new problems, but he did his best to set them aside. "Moving stones around is one thing, this is totally different."

"No! No different," Yoda snapped back, stabbing the ground with his gimmer stick for emphasis. "Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned."

Luke was growing tired of Yoda's riddles and half-answers. He had tolerated it when Yoda had taught him how to redirect energy, but now, the stakes were real. If Luke was unable to get his X-Wing out of the water, who knew when he would be able to leave Dagobah.

He kept staring at Yoda, excepting his master to add something else, though he was not very much surprised when he didn't. Then what? Luke was supposed to just throw away the weeks of training he had come here for in order to lift his starfighter out of the swamp? It was ludicrous!

He did not want to ask Yoda to do it for him. Considering the old master's age, that much effort would likely not do him any good. Luke turned back towards his X-Wing, his voice sounding barely convinced:

"Alright, I'll give it a try—"

"No!" Yoda cut him off sharply. "Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try."

Luke nodded slowly, not particularly interested in semantics at the moment. He did his best to clear his mind, focused on the Force, and reached out towards his X-Wing.

Closing his eyes, Luke felt the power of the Force coursing through him. As he extended his arm, he could sense the starfighter moving slightly beneath the surface of the water. Luke deepened his connection to the Force, finding more power to draw upon.

At some point, Luke felt like he was hitting the wall; it was as if the Force was holding back from him, he could not find the necessary strength to keep lifting the ship. Luke tried to push through it but that only seemed to make the Force recede further away.

Suddenly, he felt a familiar pull in his stomach; another power was coming to his aid. Luke quickly recognized it as the Dark Side; its presence had become familiar to him at this point. However, Luke knew to stay away from it. The Dark Side was not the path of a Jedi, Obi-Wan and Yoda had taught him that… but…

But then why was the Light Side not helping him?!

Luke could no longer hold on to the X-Wing. As he lost his connection to the Force, the X-Wing sunk back into the water, disappearing below the surface, leaving Luke even worse off than before.

Luke felt exhausted. Looking back towards Yoda, he saw the old master cast a saddened look at the ground, heaving a low sigh. The young man knew what he was thinking, right now, Luke shared those same thoughts about himself: he was not good enough.

Out of breath and glistening with sweat, Luke dropped himself to the ground next to Yoda who looked at him with a patient and diligent eye.

"I can't…," Luke panted in frustration. "It's too big."

"Size matters not," Yoda replied resolutely. "Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmmm?"

Luke cast a wary glance towards his master before shaking his head emphatically. One of the first lessons he had learned from Yoda was to never judge a book by its cover; or its size.

"And well you should not," Yoda spoke, leaning closer to Luke. "For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it; makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us, and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter!"

As Yoda spoke, he pinched Luke's shoulder with his small claw. The young man continued to listen, though his eyes showed little understanding.

"You must feel the Force around you," Yoda said, gesturing to their surroundings. "Here, between you… me… the tree… the rock… everywhere! Yes, even between the land and the ship."

Luke could not disagree with anything he said; how could he? Master Yoda had centuries of experience with the Force, obviously, he knew what he was talking about. But was that truly how long it would take him to fully master the Force? Centuries? It would be impressive for him to live past one century, ignoring the fact he was fighting a war and might die in combat.

Was this even making any difference? What good would a few weeks of training do? The best he could do was lift a few rocks and barely deflect a single stun bolt. Going from that to lifting an X-Wing and stopping a lightsaber with his bare hands was something he could not even envision…

Luke felt he had hit a wall; one which no amount of effort or training would help him to surmount. He could not do it… It was…

"You want the impossible," Luke said to Yoda dejectedly, eyes cast to the ground in defeat.

He walked away from Yoda, his mind completely blank; unsure of what to do next. Luke threw on his vest before slumping down on the ground; lost and confused.

A few seconds of silence passed; even R2 had fallen silent. Everything was still, life on Dagobah followed its course…

A light breeze flicked up the leaves at Luke's feet, carrying them away. As Luke watched this, a strange warmth seemed to emanate from his core. It traveled through his entire body, suffusing it with this soothing heat. It was like the exact opposite of the coldness he had sensed in the cave.

When Luke looked up around him, he realized this warmth was also coming from around him. Every single leave that had been picked up by the breeze, even the ones that were still on the ground, the rocks, the branches, the wildlife, all seemed to exude this strange power.

It was calling to him… Luke could feel his instincts were pulling him back towards the swamp. He got up and returned to where master Yoda was sitting. What he saw shook him to his very core.

If the heat he had felt was like a small fire, Yoda was the sun itself. All the energy around him was converging towards him, constantly evolving his Force presence, granting him more and more power. Luke followed the old master's outstretched arm, and his jaw dropped when he saw what was levitating over the swamp.

He watched as his X-Wing, covered in weeds and branches, flew over the water, slowly making its way back towards the shore. Luke stepped out of the way as the ship lowered to the ground, completely intact.

As R2 beeped happily, Luke laid his hand against the side of the starfighter, as if expecting it to be some sort of hallucination. When he felt the cold, damp metal under his palm the full realization of what had happened sunk into him.

Luke paced around the ship in complete disbelief, eyes wide. R2 said something to him but he could only stare back and shrug incredulously.

When he arrived in front of Yoda, the old master observed him blankly; his eyes were a complete enigma. His Force presence was once again completely invisible as if all of this had somehow just been a dream. But it wasn't.

"I don't… I don't believe it," Luke said.

"That is why you fail," Yoda replied with a sad gaze.

* * *

**DONE! FINALLY! I can head to bed now…**

**What did everyone think? This last part was definitely strange to manage since Luke is supposed to be blown away by the power of the Force while already having seen Obi-Wan do some pretty crazy stuff before. Still, I think it worked pretty well.**

**We finally have our boy, Lando! For those of you who saw the Solo: A Star Wars Story film, you may have caught the subtle jab towards some of what was implied about Lando's character and his… infatuation for robots. Anyway, I won't say anything more, this is not that Lando anyway.**

**Please favorite and follow if you enjoyed! If you have any thoughts or comments please write me a review. I read them all and they give me the inspiration to keep writing.**

**Thank you all for reading and see you next chapter!**


	26. Paths Converge

**WOOOOOOOOOW!**

**17 pages! Nearly 7000 words! This is officially the longest fanfiction chapter I have ever written! Quite proud about that honestly. I feel I like each chapter more than the previous one. This one was so much fun to write and I hope you enjoyed it.**

**QUICK POLL: I have an idea for a sort of side adventure involving Grand Moff Thrawn and his mission to bring back the giant kyber crystal for the Death Star II. Please tell me if this interests anybody or if you'd rather just stick to the main storyline. Either way is fine with me.**

**Without further ado, let's answer all your wonderful reviews:**

**-Jeda31: Thank you so much for your kind praise! It's certainly a sick sort of pleasure on my part to twist Luke forward and backward with his evolution through the training. My hope is to try to make it feel as "realistic" as possible in that sense that just because you've taken a step forward does not mean you will never take one or more steps back.**

**I really enjoy writing Sidious' dialogue. I can just hear Ian McDiarmid's voice in my head when I write and the words just come naturally from there.**

**There's definitely stuff coming up concerning all those characters: Han, Leia, Mara… I won't spoil anything of course, I'll let you enjoy this chapter yourself.**

**Thank you for your review, and I hope you like the chapter.**

**-RKF22: Many thanks! May the Force be with you.**

**-** **Bountyhunter1977: You raise some very good points on all fronts there… I won't say anything and let you (hopefully) get some answers in this chapter. I agree, I hope Luke is able to pull of Tutaminis when he needs it.**

**-** **the8horcrux: I can't tell you how much your wonderful comments have put a huge smile on my face :) Your passion and enthusiasm is really infectious and it's what pushed me to go all-in for this chapter (not that I wasn't going all-in before. But your words gave me a huge boost of energy!)**

**I apologize for my use of the F word. Ratings are unfortunately not something I pay close enough attention and you're right, it was wrong to do it. At the time I thought it accentuated the strength of Cody's desperation, but in hindsight, it does not add all that much.**

**Also, yes I did work at Disneyland but only as a summer job. I worked as a waiter and it was an awesome experience. Free park entrances, possibility to skip some lines, and huge discounts on all shops. Pretty epic ;)**

**I definitely struggle the most with romantic moments, since I feel it's easy to make things sappy and melodramatic, so I'm glad to hear I struck a nice balance. **

**Oh, and concerning Rahm's actions. I think I could have made it clearer, but the logic was that he knew what would happen to his Padawan if she got captured by the Empire. She would be tortured and brainwashed into an Inquisitor or some other monstrosity. Rahm's rationale was that painlessly killing her now was better than having her suffer at the hands of the Empire. Like a mercy killing of sorts.**

**The throwback to ep9 was definitely just for the heck of it. I didn't really like the movie that much.**

**I'm not going to spoil anything, I can see by your comments you're raring to know more so I'll just let you read this chapter. But if you like angst, I think this one has some of that…**

**AND FINALLY, concerning my update schedule… the simple answer would be that I don't really have one. At least not in the sense of "I post a new chapter on this particular day" type of thing. I try to get out 1 chapter a week, although there rarely ever is exactly 7 days between each chapter, it's generally a bit more than 1 week. A roundabout way of saying, ½ weeks between chapters more or less.**

**Thank you for all your reviews! May the Force be with you and hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**Alright! Without further ado, I give you chapter 26 of Never Too Old When You Have the High Ground. Enjoy! Please favorite, follow, and review!**

* * *

Luke felt he had changed since Yoda lifted his X-Wing out of the swamp. He spent more and more of his free time meditating, deepening his connection to the Force. It was slow, but Luke felt his abilities were improving.

He was a bit worried about not receiving any lightsaber training from Yoda. Whenever Luke had asked him, he had insisted his priority should be to strengthen his bond to the Force. Luke had not pushed further; he just made sure to wake up an hour earlier to practice his different forms. He could not let his skills get rusty.

The day after Yoda rescued the starfighter, Luke had attempted to lift the X-Wing again, only this time it was on dry land. The sensations in his mind and body were the same as when he first tried; only this time, instead of hitting a wall, he was able to slowly climb up it… In the end, he managed to lift his X-Wing about an inch off the ground before letting go of it.

It was only after all these weeks on Dagobah that Luke understood the greatest lesson Master Yoda had taught him: humility. Upon arriving at this planet, his entire attitude towards the training had been to get through it as efficiently as possible so he could return to the Rebel Alliance and help win the war.

It was only now that Luke understood a Jedi's training was not so simple. Not only had Yoda's abilities shown him how much he still needed to learn; but the biggest revelation had come when Luke happened to read one of the old master's writings, which he kept dispersed all around his hut.

This single page contained a list of questions regarding the nature of the Force and the origin of its creation. It was coupled with notes and intricate drawings of plants and creatures from completely different galaxies, as well as Yoda's personal reflections on how he could improve his connection to the Force.

That was when Luke understood. Despite the fact that Yoda was eight-hundred years old, he was neither all-knowing, nor all-powerful. He continued to learn and sharpen his abilities, just like Luke. Yoda was a teacher, but that did not mean he stopped being a student.

This new perspective had allowed Luke to reach a new level of serenity and inner peace; no longer struggling as he had in the past because of his shortsightedness.

Currently, he was performing yet another handstand as he levitated objects around him. Yoda was not perched atop his feet this time. Instead, Luke was lifting much heavier items. Although, to Luke's surprise, the action felt more natural and effortless compared to before. He was able to clear his mind of any distractions and smoothly pick up two large metal cases.

It was an awkward angle for Luke, but he could tell Yoda was smiling approvingly.

"Concentrate," the old Jedi spoke softly. "Feel the Force flow… Yes…"

Luke was careful not to let Yoda's approval get to his head. He gazed at his surroundings, trying to find what to lift next. His gaze settled on a target.

"_Why are you looking at me like that?_" R2 beeped defensively.

The little astromech quickly pieced it together when his sensors told him he was no longer touching the ground. He helplessly kicked his legs around as he rose several feet in the air.

"_Luke, stop! This isn't funny!_" the droid chirped nervously. "_If you break me, good luck getting off this stupid planet!_"

"Good…" Yoda nodded with an amused smirk. "Calm, yes."

"_Oh I'm very calm! I'll calmly roll over his face if he doesn't put me back down!_"

Luke kept his own smile at bay and slowly tuned out R2's cries of despair. He stared straight ahead; meditating, concentrating solely on the Force. As he did, a familiar sensation began to course through his body. He swore he could see shapes in front of him; they almost looked like… people. As he wondered who they were, an image flashed in his mind. It was gone instantly but he was able to make out a floating city hidden in the clouds…

"Through the Force, things you will see. Other places," Yoda explained. "The future… the past. Old friends long gone."

As he listened to his master and deepened his connection to the Force, the people in front of him became visible. They were two, lying on the ground, close to each other. As Luke's eyes sharpened he could see the pure white robes they were dressed in were stained with dried blood.

Luke focused on their faces; and immediately wished he hadn't. Their eyes were sickly and unnatural; their skin sagged over their bones as they squirmed in pain, clinging to each other's bodies. A stillborn infant lay between them in a pool of darkish liquid.

Luke felt his concentration waver. He tried to keep the rising fear in his heart at bay but it seized his muscles uncontrollably.

"Han! Leia!" Luke called out to them, desperately praying they would look back at him.

As the vision slowly disappeared, he glimpsed a final image of a hooded figure that approached the three bodies and knelt beside them, revealing only a lock of red hair.

Everything vanished from Luke's vision, and everything levitating around him fell noisily to the ground. Noisiest of all was R2 who let out an oil-curdling screech as he crashed onto some dead branches bellow him.

"_Why does nobody listen to me?_" R2 whined. "_Now I know how 3PO feels_."

Luke dusted the mud and dried leaves off his arms, silently replaying what he had just seen. Yoda let out a disgruntled sigh.

"Hmmm. Control! Control! You must learn control!" he urged.

"_Yeah! Start by controlling the landing!_" R2 beeped.

Luke tried not to dwell though much on what he had seen but it wasn't so easy. This vision was different from the one inside the cave. The warning felt much more imminent; much more concrete.

"I saw…" Luke recalled the image that had flashed before his eyes. "I saw a city in the clouds."

"Hmmm. Friends you have there." Yoda stated.

"They were in pain…" Luke recalled, gritting his teeth. "There was a dead baby between them… and a woman with red hair…"

"It is the future you see."

"Future?" Luke got to his feet, desperately trying to see the vision again; to know more. He could see nothing. "Will they die?" he asked slowly.

Yoda closed his eyes in concentration, the Force around him pulsed strongly as he tried to see what Luke had seen.

"Difficult to see," Yoda replied slowly. "Always in motion is the future."

That answer did little to ease Luke's dread. His instincts told him what he needed to do, but the Force remained silent. He concentrated on it, hoping it would give him an answer, but to no avail.

Luke had no choice. He could not let his friends die; that was what he knew. He did not need the Force to show him what to do here.

"I've got to go to them," Luke said resolutely, walking away from Yoda to gather his gear.

The old master thought carefully about his next words. Yoda could sense this was a turning point for so many events that would follow; but even he was not sure what the correct decision was. He just worried that Luke was racing towards something he did not yet ready to face.

"Decide you must how to serve them best," Yoda spoke calmly, locking eyes with his apprentice. "If you leave now, help them you could. But you could destroy all for which they have suffered."

Luke wanted to reply that his friend's lives were more important to him but he could not bring himself to say it. Yoda's words held some truth; but he was able to speak them because he did not know Leia and Han like Luke did. He could afford to be calm and detached; Luke simply could not.

Perhaps this meant he was a failure as a Jedi? This inability to ignore his personal feelings may be his undoing. But if he stayed on Dagobah, whatever happened to Han and Leia would haunt him until the day he died.

If he left now, with his training not fully complete, Luke would likely be unable to defeat whatever or whoever was hurting Han and Leia. He may very well never come back to Dagobah. He would be dishonoring Obi-Wan's sacrifice; the man who made him who he was today…

_I'm sorry Obi-Wan… I'm not strong enough. I must go to them…_

…

…

_The Force will be with you. Always…_

Luke was unsure if the voice he heard was a figment of his imagination, but those words gave him the strength necessary to make his final decision.

* * *

Mara tried to keep her nerve as she made her way to the detention center. She had just received a message from Vader, ordering her to come down immediately. He had not specified why.

She had made sure to stay far away from the holding cells since Obi-Wan discussed with her his escape plan. Mara had not wanted to look suspicious by showing too much interest in the Jedi prisoner. She had avoided Vader as much as possible and had been careful to keep her emotions under tight wrap so that he would not sense her true motives.

As she exited the elevator at the prison level, Mara heaved a deep breath, strengthening all her mental shields and keeping her Force signature neutral. Even though Vader had not told her where to go, she knew exactly which cell to head towards. There was not a single prisoner onboard the _Executor_ that Vader was interested in besides Obi-Wan Kenobi.

When she approached his cell, Mara found quite the crowd of people waiting at attention along the walls of the corridor, while Vader paced silently in front of them. There were at least two squads of Stormtroopers, four Death Troopers, and two people Mara would never have expected to see all the way out here: Imperial Royal Guards. They wore long crimson robes as well as their instantly recognizable red masks. Each Guard wielded a force pike, which they kept propped up along their arm.

Their presence immediately told Mara something was wrong. It was extremely rare for any member of the Red Guard to stray away from the Emperor's side. Them being here meant they were sent on a mission directly by Palpatine.

Mara kept her questions and worries in check; now was the time for calm, rational thinking. She marched down the narrow corridor towards Vader, not glancing at the rows of soldiers on either side of her.

When she reached him, she morphed her features in a look of disinterest and vague boredom.

"What's wrong?" she asked distractedly.

"Who said anything was wrong?" Vader replied simply. Mara could not quite place his tone; it was different from usual. He almost sounded… conversational?

Mara made sure to hold his gaze, leaving his question unanswered for a moment before answering:

"You call for me so rarely, I assumed you needed my help with something," Mara could obviously not read Vader's expression, but his Force presence spoke volumes. It was strangely subdued, as opposed to dangerously violent, which was the norm.

"I believe you may be able to help us, yes," Vader spoke slowly.

He gave a small wave to the Death Troopers standing near him. In one coordinated movement, they all entered Obi-Wan's cell at once. As the door closed behind them, the Red Guards posted themselves on either side of the entrance.

Mara listened to the sound of scuffling and pushing inside the cell with growing unease. She focused on keeping her heartbeat stable and her breathing even. This was more than likely going to be a test of loyalty. The Emperor had sent two of his guards to watch her gratuitously torment Obi-Wan and prove where her loyalties lied.

There was no need to panic. She had already discussed such a scenario with Obi-Wan. He had asked her, or more like ordered her, not to hold anything back on his account. Palpatine would obviously never let his most prized prisoner die. Obi-Wan had assured her the pain he would endure far outweighed the importance of not blowing her cover.

After a few seconds, the door to the cell reopened. The Death Troopers emerged, carrying Obi-Wan's weak body between them by his shoulders and feet. The old master was terrifyingly gaunt and febrile; the nails on his hand had grown freakishly long. His beard and hair were greasy and unkempt, peeking out from underneath the Sith torture mask. It hurt Mara to see him like this. She did not want to inflict him any more pain; not after all he had endured.

The Imperial Guards took over from the Death Troopers. They forced Obi-Wan down to his knees in front of Vader and Mara, and relentlessly stabbed him with their force pikes. The weapons were set to stun, but Mara knew from experience how agonizing even that setting was. Obi-Wan let out a strangled scream through gritted teeth as his entire body tensed up from the pain coursing through his body.

Mara was unsure, but she thought she felt a subtle shift in Vader's Force signature at that moment; as if he were sharing the old Jedi's pain…

Finally, after several grueling seconds, the Imperial Guards deactivated their force pikes. The air around them was thick with the smell of ozone; Mara could feel static electricity running over her skin. The Guards showed little concern for any of this. They pulled Obi-Wan's head backward so he looked up at Vader and Mara.

She tried not to focus too much on the emptiness of those once stunning blue eyes. Obi-Wan knew, as well as her, he could not afford to let their relationship show, especially with Vader right next to them. Mara simply stared back at him blankly, trusting that he would recognize her and know she was there for him.

"Look at you, Obi-Wan," Vader spoke evenly. "After all these years in exile, this is how you chose to die."

Obi-Wan did not answer immediately. He took the time to carefully wet his lips and clear his throat before replying. When he did, the words were audible, just very breathy and raspy:

"Death… is just another step… in the journey. And… being forced to fly… in a ship you were piloting… was much more terrifying than any of this… Anakin."

Vader stiffened when he spoke that name. Mara looked from one to the other in confusion. _What did he call him? Wait…_ She set her many questions aside to focus on Vader, who's Force presence was now back to normal.

"Your wit and idealism won't save you this time," Vader said menacingly. "The date of your execution on Coruscant has been set."

That sentence hit Mara like a ton of durasteel. She desperately tried to think of ways to somehow sway Vader's decision, but deep down she knew it had not come from him. Such an order could only come from one man. Mara felt completely lost, her mind was blank, she had no idea what to do. Obi-Wan's gaze remained evenly locked on Vader.

"The Emperor has sensed your plans to conspire against him," Vader continued, maliciously taking his time with every single word. "He has decided you are more of a nuisance than an asset."

Mara was paralyzed with fear. He knew. Palpatine knew. Somehow he had sensed everything. He had seen right through her attempts at hiding the truth in her heart. Her carefully crafted façade crumbled away. Mara became pale, her entire body started to shake; only for it to lock up when Vader laid his hand on her shoulder.

"The Emperor will be reclaiming what is rightfully his," Vader's voice no longer sounded human or mechanical; he was like an animal's. "Your influence upon her will soon be wiped away, and only a slave of the Dark Side will remain."

Mara could sense Vader's bloodlust leaching off him as he gripped her shoulder tighter and tighter. Obi-Wan's eyes were no longer indifferent; they welled up with tears; raw, unbridled emotion shone through them. His voice was a desperate plea:

"Anakin… I beg you… don't do this. This isn't you… You are not like Sidious… If you wish to unleash your anger… then aim it at the one responsible… Kill me. If it will grant you peace… do it. But leave her out of it… You can't let Sidious take her…"

Vader kneeled down to be at Obi-Wan's eye level. His Force presence had shifted from animalistic and murderous, back to calm and unreadable. His voice was solemn but unwavering:

"As I said, your idealism will not save you; nor anyone else."

Obi-Wan gazed at his reflection in those dark lenses, searching for something…

"I don't need it to save me."

By the time Mara and Vader registered the instant surge of Force energy that gathered around Obi-Wan, it was too late to stop it.

A powerful pressure wave rippled around Mara, expelling everyone else away from Obi-Wan with frightening velocity. The Death Troopers and Royal Guards were killed instantly due to their proximity to the Force blast. The Stormtroopers were sent flying against the cell doors or several yards down the corridor. Some were killed on impact while others shattered many of their bones. Vader was the only one left conscious. He had managed to shield himself from the blast just in time. He had been flung far down the hallway, leaving Mara standing next to Obi-Wan's kneeling form.

When she looked at him, the Sith Hood was gone. It had been blasted straight off his face. His face, while looking disheveled and worn, was revitalized through his azure eyes which shined with strength and newfound resolve.

"Go Mara! Get to an escape pod!"

"No! I'm not leaving you. We're going together!"

"Don't argue with me, Mara. This is where our paths must separate. Go!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Mara could spot Vader pushing away the dead bodies of Stormtroopers in his path.

"Trust in the Force, Mara. No matter what, trust in the Force. It will be your guide."

Vader's crimson blade ignited; his encroaching footsteps echoed in Mara's ears.

"Run, Mara! RUN!"

So she ran; without looking back. Without thinking twice: she ran. What did she hear? Or see? Or feel? Mara could not remember any of it. It was like holding her breath in near-freezing water. When she came back up for air, she had closed the hatch of her escape pod and launched it into space.

The entire craft shook and rattled dangerously as it sped up towards wherever it was headed. Mara strapped herself into her seat as laser cannon bolts exploded around the pod.

She could not even think. She was losing the energy to deal with all the emotions racing through her mind. Mara surrendered herself to the Force, and simply embraced whatever happened next.

As Mara fell unconscious, she was able to glimpse the name of the planet she was hurtling towards: Bespin.

* * *

Leia could not stop pacing. They had only been on Cloud City for a couple of hours but her unease had only grown more intense. Something was not right, she just did not know what it was.

Lando had treated them more than pleasantly since their arrival. He had brought Han and Leia to his private apartments and offered them access to his extensive wardrobe, as well as a chance to shower.

She was apprehensive about his hospitality, but after days of confinement inside the _Falcon_, she could not say no to a warm shower and a change of clothes.

After washing up, Han and Chewie had left to see how the ship's repairs were coming along. Leia had wondered where C3-PO had disappeared off to but Lando had reassured her that he was just undergoing maintenance at the city's Droid Spa. Leia was not surprised; 3PO could rarely resist the promise of a good oil bath.

As Leia waited alone in her room, she tried to ease her mind and focus on this unsettling feeling that brewed in her gut. She remembered the few pieces of advice she had overheard Obi-Wan tell Luke about how to meditate properly: control your breathing, clear your mind, focus on what is disturbing you, and concentrate on it to find from where it emanates.

Leia had often heard Luke and Obi-Wan talk about the Force when discussing meditation, though she had no idea how to use its power; or if she even could. The Force had always been a hazy notion to her. Her father had explained to her that through the Force the Jedi were able to pull of feats that seemed almost like magic, such as levitating objects or controlling people's minds.

When she had asked Obi-Wan about it, he had described the Force as an energy field that bound the universe together and was made up of the power of all living things. He had explained how the Force allowed his body to remain strong despite his age, and how he could use it to enhance his physical abilities. Leia also recalled the times she'd seen Luke levitate small bolts and washers for practice.

_Is that how it's done? You just reach out and…_

Leia extended her hand out towards a vase on the other side of the room. She felt completely ridiculous but she preferred to keep her mind busy by amusing herself rather than dwelling in negativity.

"Come to me!" Leia declared dramatically as she flicked her palm towards the vase.

Predictably: it did not move. In any other situation, Leia would have stopped there, but since she had nothing else to do, she felt a child-like fascination for continuing this game of make-believe.

"Vase: I summon thee!"

The vase was not summoned.

"Come hither, vase!"

It remained atop the table.

"One, two, three, bring this vase to me!"

The vase remained where it was.

_What am I doing?_ Leia wondered incredulously. _Am I so bored I can't find anything better to do than shout at an innominate object?_

Heaving a bored sigh, Leia plopped herself face first on her bed. She wished Han would return from overseeing the repairs. Not only could she use the company, it would also give them some time to spend with each other. The past couple of days had been so hectic and life-threatening, they had barely had time to talk about anything else.

Leia was not sure when she fell asleep. When she opened her eyes, feeling a bit sluggish and drowsy, it was bright outside. Leia had slept through the night without even realizing it.

_Guess I was more tired than I thought. I should go find Han and—_

_The Force will be with you. Always…_

"AH!"

Leia let out a sharp shriek. _What was that? Who said that?_ She had heard a voice, but it hadn't come from around her. It was… in her mind? And it had sounded almost like… Obi-Wan?!

Hearing the voice had been surprising, but the sensation that had coursed through her body when she did, was even more so. When Obi-Wan had spoken to her, it was as if she had a sixth sense. Leia had felt this strange warmth emanating from all around her; her fingertips had tingled; her eyes had sharpened, so had her sense of smell and hearing. It was like a sensory overload that disappeared in under two seconds.

Leia racked her brain for what this all meant. Her mind instinctively went to the only answer she could think of: the Force.

_Is that what it feels like?_ Was Obi-Wan trying to show her the way, somehow, from wherever the Empire was holding him? Leia had so many questions running through her mind. She tried to concentrate and somehow try to hear Obi-Wan's voice again, but nothing came.

As she gazed across the room, Leia's eyes once again fell on the vase. What had felt like a foolish game before had now become very serious.

Focusing on the vase, Leia closed her eyes and tried to find that sensation again; to feel everything heat up and pulsate around her. She recalled every detail of what it was like to hear Obi-Wan's voice, and visualized the vase lifting up off the table.

Leia was amazed when she felt a response. That feeling of having a sixth sense had returned, but somehow she could not use it. It was as if the Force was holding back from her, and the stronger she tried to reach towards it, the further away it retreated.

_It's just like my father told me when I was younger, running around the royal gardens:_

"_Remember, Leia: always be patient. Mother Nature, like all things, does not respond well to being threatened or bullied. The true strength of a good politician is the ability to wait and listen to what is around you; to use your abilities to help and protect those less fortunate than you. If we are to prevail over the Empire, we must stand by our ideals and values, no matter how difficult it may be; and in the end, we will ultimately prevail. Now, stay still and listen…"_

Her father had knelt beside her and they had both listened to the wind rustling through the trees and the gurgles of a distant stream. After several minutes, a younger, more impatient Leia had asked:

"Is something supposed to happen?"

"I don't know," her father had replied with a smile. "Maybe you weren't listening hard enough?"

Leia remembered that answer well, since at the time it had vexed that she could not grasp what her father meant. Now, she felt she understood. _I need to listen to the Force. Not try to push it, and instead let it guide me._

So Leia did just that. She surrendered herself to the Force, and when she opened her eyes, the vase was levitating a few inches off the table. Leia was beside herself with excitement.

"Hey, Leia, I—"

"AH!"

Han's voice scared the life out of her, causing her to jerk back her hand, which sent the vase sailing through the air, straight towards him. Thankfully, he managed to duck down just in time. The vase shattered against the door behind him.

"What was that for?!" Han cried out in disbelief.

"Haven't you heard of knocking?" Leia quickly snapped back. How was it that Han always seemed to enter at the best and worst possible moments.

"Haven't you heard of not throwing things at people?" Han quipped. "Lando won't take kindly to you breaking his property."

"That wasn't aimed at you…" Leia tried to explain, before giving up. It was not the time to hear Han's relentless cynicism and sarcasm by bringing up the Force. "What is it?"

The smuggler paused for several seconds, eyeing Leia suspiciously, before relenting. It seemed to be a pattern between them to break objects for no apparent reason.

"The ship's almost finished," he announced. "Two or three more things and we're in great shape."

"The sooner the better," Leia replied. She crossed the room to stand closer to Han so she could whisper to him. "Something's wrong here. I wasn't able to send any message from the _Falcon_ after we landed. I think someone's blocking all communications off the planet."

Han softly gripped Leia's shoulder, sporting his trademark, debonair smile. He laid a quick kiss on her forehead before replying:

"Relax, I'm sure it's nothing. I'll talk to Lando about it, see what he can do."

"We shouldn't be placing so much trust in that man."

"Look, I trust Lando about as far as I can throw him. But he is my friend, and he did help us with the ship, and give us a place to sleep. Anyways, we'll be gone soon."

"Yeah…" Leia said, pensively. "Maybe we'll be able to take a vacation after this?"

Han chuckled at her sense of humor. When fighting in a galaxy-wide conflict, a vacation was not exactly high on the list of possibilities. Although, it was good to dream.

"I know a nice little place," Han replied. "A quiet little planet in the Outer Rim. Not much life, peaceful, beautiful, calming… just like you."

Leia could not help but laugh at her boyfriend's attempt at praise.

"It's true that the life within me is close to nil," the replied sarcastically. "Let's go there when this is all over. Go away for a few weeks and forget about everything else."

"That sounds nice. Before I met you, taking a vacation was never really in the cards for me. Bounty hunters don't take vacations, unfortunately."

"Let's not worry about any of that. I just learned it's important to be quiet and focus on the present."

"Oh, so you want me to shut u—"

Han was cut off when Leia captured his lips in a slow, tender kiss. They held each other close, each savoring the presence of the other. Even when they broke the kiss, they held each other close; as if letting go would mean losing each other forever.

"We'll make it through this, princess. I promise."

"Wherever we are, the Force will keep us together."

Leia had no idea why she said that. The words just came to her. Before Han could ask what she was talking about, Chewbacca burst into the room, carrying a large box that held the mangled remains of C3-PO's body.

"What happened?!" Leia asked in shock.

She got up off the couch to take a closer look at what was left of the golden protocol droid. It was bad. All his components seemed mostly intact, but it would take a long time to reattach all his pieces and make him fully functional again. _Who could have done this to him?_

"_He was about to be burnt down for scrap metal!_" Chewie explained furiously. "_Those little Ugnaught devils did this to him!_"

"What a mess," Leia said. "Do you think you can repair him, Chewie?"

"_It looks pretty bad,_" the Wookie replied sadly. "_I can't say for certain until I can get a closer look at him._"

"Lando's got people who can fix him," Han mentioned offhandedly.

"No thanks," Leia snapped back dismissively.

The door behind them buzzed just before Lando entered the room. He stopped in his tracks upon seeing what he had walked in on.

"I'm sorry. Am I interrupting anything?"

"Not really," Leia quickly answered, keeping the accusation out of her voice.

"You look absolutely beautiful," he praised with a wide smile. "You truly belong here with us, among the clouds."

_Well, I guess we know who Han got his romantic advice from_, Leia reflected.

"And your personality truly makes you at home on this gassy planet," she retorted with an exaggerated curtsy.

Lando let out a loud, enthusiastic laugh, clearly interpreting Leia's comment entirely as a joke.

"You and Han truly make a great pair," he said humorously. "Would you all care to join me for some refreshments?"

Leia looked back towards Han who simply shrugged. It was no use laying any accusations at Lando's feet right now; in their current situation that would not help them.

"Yes, we'd be happy to," Leia replied with a strained smile.

Lando's smile quickly vanished when he laid eyes on the box containing C3-PO's body. A brief flash of guilt seemed to pass over his features before quickly being replaced by a confident grin.

"Having trouble with your droid?" he asked casually.

"No. No problem. Why?" Han said defensively as he got up and offered Leia his arm.

They both walked out the door, followed by Lando and Chewbacca, leaving 3PO's bits behind.

The pure white interiors of Cloud City were quite impressive, if not a bit repetitive and confusing. It was hard to keep track of where they were going since all the hallways looked identical.

They followed Lando closely as he explained how Cloud City operated:

"So you see, since we're a small operation, we don't fall into the jurisdiction of the Empire."

"So you're part of the mining guild then?" Leia asked.

"No, not actually. Our operation is small enough not to be noticed. Which is advantageous for everybody since our customers are anxious to avoid attracting unwanted attention."

"Aren't you afraid the Empire's going to find out about this little operation and shut you down?" Han questioned.

Leia did not miss how Lando's eyes seemed to darken when he said that. His tone was still pleasant when he spoke, but it lost its playful edge:

"That's always been a danger, looming like a shadow over everything we've built here. But things have developed that will ensure security. I've just made a deal with the Empire that will keep them out of here forever."

Lando came to a halt in front of a large, embossed white door. As he pressed a button to open it, Leia felt a warning through the Force; but it was too late.

Vader was inside the dining room, waiting for them with Boba Fett behind him. In one fluid motion, Han drew his blaster and fired several shots at the Sith who simply raised his hand and deflected them away. The weapon flew out of Han's hand and into Vader's who placed it down on the table.

"We would be honored if you would join us," he said calmly.

A squad of Stormtroopers emerged behind Han, Leia, and Chewbacca, cutting off any means of escape. The smuggler shot an accusing glare at Lando.

"I had no choice. They arrived right before you did," he said regretfully. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," Han snapped.

Leia looked towards Vader who stood at the end of the table, his silhouette painfully highlighted by the entirely white room. She had prayed that she would never again have to come face to face with him again after what he did to her on the Death Star. However, now she could count on the Force to help her stay strong.

* * *

Luke kept his attention focused on his work. After clearing off the weeds and branches still clinging to his X-Wing after its dip in the swamp, he began to pack up all of his gear. Luke then put on his orange flight suit and lifted R2 up into his cradle behind the cockpit using the Force.

"_You better not drop me again_," R2 warned.

Once everything was loaded onto the X-Wing, Luke performed a systems check to make sure everything was functioning properly. Thankfully, nothing appeared to be significantly damaged; he could take off whenever he wanted.

Luke had done his best to not cross Yoda's gaze as he prepared for his departure. The old master had watched him perform all of his tasks without saying a word, not showing any signs of disappointment or frustration. Even though he was not being judged, Luke felt the urge to justify his actions somehow.

When he had told Yoda his decision to go help Han and Leia, a brief sadness had seemed to shine in his eyes before quickly disappearing. He had simply told him that without having completed his training he would not be able to help his friends. When Luke had insisted that he still needed to try regardless, Yoda had fallen silent and had not brought the subject up again.

Luke walked over to the Jedi Master, who was busy tracing aimless patterns in the dirt with his gimmer stick. He did not look up when Luke spoke:

"I will return, master. I will continue my training. I just can't stand idly by and let my friends die."

"You don't know that, kid," a gruff voice spoke behind Yoda.

Luke looked up. The blue Force ghost of Rahm Kota had materialized behind the Grand Master, leaning against the stump of a fallen tree. He looked the same as when Luke last saw him, although his eyes were much more judgmental than Yoda's.

"I've seen it, master Kota," Luke argued. "Those visions in the cave, and the ones after… I can't risk them becoming true."

"Getting unnerved by strange visions isn't what Obi-Wan taught you," Rahm replied sharply. "He's currently risking his life to make sure the light of the Jedi doesn't die out. Don't throw away your life… like he did."

Luke glared hard at Rahm when he said that. _Obi-Wan had not thrown away his life!_ He had faced Vader in order to protect everyone; just as Luke was about to do to protect Han and Leia.

He remembered that voice he had heard; the one that had helped him make his final decision…

"You're wrong," Luke stated calmly. "I trust Ben entirely, and I know he did what he did for good reasons. He's the best Jedi I know, and if he were here, he'd tell me to follow my heart."

Rahm let out an irritated sigh while Yoda remained silent, still drawing figures in the dirt with his gimmer stick.

"This is all part of the Emperor's plan, Luke," Rahm insisted, moving closer to the young man. "It's you that he wants. You and your abilities. That's why he's making your friends suffer."

"And that's why I have to go. I've learned so much since coming to Dagobah, and I will return to finish what I started."

"We can't lose you to Sidious!" Rahm stalked forward until he was almost a foot away from Luke. "This is exactly what claimed Obi-Wan's last apprentice! Vader and the Emperor must be stopped! And only a fully trained Jedi with the Force as his ally can hope to do that. If you end your training now, if you choose the quick and easy path, as Vader did, you'll become an agent of evil. You must be patient."

"And sacrifice Han and Leia?" Luke asked angrily.

Rahm closed his eyes slowly, before gazing evenly back at him and replying:

"If you honor what they fight for… yes."

Luke turned away from Rahm. He was about to climb the ladder into his X-Wing when Yoda's voice halted him:

"If decide to leave you do, be mindful of your training and what you have seen, you must. Against Vader, save you they can."

Luke turned back to face Yoda. He had stopped scraping the ground with his gimmer stick. He now stood a few feet away from Luke, his expression solemn.

"Tried to sense the future I have," Yoda continued. "Clouded everything the Dark Side has, but seen something I have. Perhaps an ally who may help you. Seen this person you have."

Luke recalled his vision. A potential ally? When would he have seen such a person? Actually, now that he thought about it, there had been someone next to Han and Leia's bodies in his last vision. Was that person helping them…?

"Red hair!" Luke said spontaneously. "I saw someone with red hair next to Han and Leia."

"Hmmm… yes. Seen it I have," Yoda nodded. "Be mindful of this person. Without them, failure may be all that awaits you."

Luke smiled lightly at Yoda's bluntness. He could tell the old hermit was still dubious about him leaving, but at least he had given him a clue to follow. Luke climbed up the ladder of his X-Wing and settled into the cockpit. He switched the power on and let R2 take care of the final adjustments for takeoff.

Luke stood up in his seat and turned back towards Rahm and Yoda.

"I will return, master," Luke said resolutely. "I promise."

Yoda nodded but his conviction did not reach his eyes. He watched as Luke closed the canopy and slowly raised the ship off the ground. The X-Wing climbed higher and higher, eventually clearing the thick tree line of Dagobah. With his flight path now clear, Luke activated the thrusters and accelerated towards the upper atmosphere.

Within a minute, Luke had gone from being just feet away from Yoda, to several light-years away… The eight hundred-year-old Jedi felt a sharp pang of sadness and regret. He was suddenly reminded of all the other apprentices he'd mentored who had strayed away from their training: Dooku, Anakin… Now Obi-Wan might also perish because of Sidious' madness, and Yoda was powerless to stop it.

_A student should never die before his master… As if that would ever apply to me…_

"Why did you say that?" Rahm asked Yoda accusingly. "You gave him an irrational sense of hope based on some vision? I thought we weren't supposed to let them guide our actions?"

"Different the boy is," Yoda answered slowly. "Stronger and clearer are his premonitions. Powerful he is, like his father. If remember his training he does, guide him the Force will; protect him it will. And in the end: save him it will."

"You're beginning to sound like Obi-Wan: a hopeless idealist," Rahm sighed in defeat. "If Luke falls, it's all over. No other Jedi can hope to defeat Vader and Sidious… He was our last hope."

"No…," Yoda paused. He remembered their birth, all those years ago on Polis Massa, when he and Obi-Wan had come up with a plan to keep them both safe…

"There is another."

* * *

**I am tired… it is currently 3:30 in the morning… I have finished proofreading these 17 pages of SW goodness and I'm just about ready to crash…**

**What did you think? Excited? Sad? Angry? Let me hear your thoughts in a review, I read them all as long as they're respectful and constructive.**

**Please favorite and follow if you enjoyed this chapter and would like to see more.**


	27. All is Calm All is Quiet

**Oh hello, clock! What are you doing here? You're here to tell me it's nearly 3 in the morning and I need to go to bed? Sure thing, let me just upload this new chapter, or I won't be able to rest soundly.**

**Howdy, everyone! A brand new chapter, and within a reasonable time frame! Who'd have thunk it?! **

**I am warning you upfront this is a shorter chapter then you may be used to for the simple reason that some VERY EPIC events are on the cusp of happening. So this chapter serves as the setup and preparation for the awesomeness to follow. I preferred to have one shorter chapter followed by a longer chapter which will take a bit longer to come out, rather than ending a chapter right in the middle of a climactic build-up. I want to deliver as much emotion in a single chapter as I can. So look forward to chapter 27!**

**Also, I'm assuming no one is interested in a side story about Thrawn's quest to obtain the giant kyber crystal for the Death Star II? Last chance to say so if you are, otherwise, never mind.**

**Now, let us answer some reviews:**

**-** **RKF22: Thank you very very much. May the Force be with you.**

**-** **Bountyhunter1977: I totally get what you mean. Don't worry, I've got you :)**

**-** **the8horcrux: Thanks so much for your wonderful response! I can't address any of your predictions for future chapters, I just hope you'll enjoy them when they happen :). I am certainly doing my best to find an upload rhythm of one chapter a week, especially now that my exams are done and I have more free time. I've really excited to write chapter 28 since… you know… stuff happens ;) May the Force be with you!**

**-** **Jeda31: Thank you, thank you, thank you! That chapter was certainly one of my favorite fanfictions chapters I've written in a while; I'm glad it resonated with you. Chapter 28, as stated earlier, is definitely going to contain all of the intersecting plots and culmination of all the building events. I preferred to calmly set the last couple things up in this chapter and really give you a nice, thick piece of writing for chapter 28. Can't wait for some Luke/Mara and Han/Leia goodness :)**

**-** **SW AU addict: Thanks so much! Glad to have you on board. The final, final conclusion is a ways away, although, concerning the current events, we are pretty much in the endgame.**

**-Guest: Thank you very, very much for your kind praise. Your objections are all dead on, couldn't have said it better myself. That is exactly the reason I think people find Obi-Wan so endearing and likable. His absolute commitment to his ideals of what a Jedi should be is inspiring to everyone he runs into. Concerning Ahsoka, don't worry, she'll definitely be returning in a more prominent way soon; not going to say anything more at this stage. Luke is definitely a contender for most powerful Jedi, as you say he does have he does have innate gifts with the Force, although he is not yet able to unlock their full potential yet, and often takes a step back when he feels he's hit a wall. Once Luke learns humility and discipline, like Obi-Wan has, he will truly be able to complete his training as a Jedi and reach his full potential. See you in chapter 28 ;)**

**ALL RIGHT! Reviews answered, on with the story. Please favorite, follow, and review.**

**Enjoy!**

"_Is she awake?_"

"_I don't know… Poke her with a wrench or something to see."_

"_No, wait! Look at that thing on her belt. That's a lightsaber!"_

Mara vaguely heard a buzzing sound around her. It felt like a Star Destroyer was laying on top of her; she was struggling to even lift up her eyelids.

"_I heard the Empire's come to Cloud City! She must a Jedi they're hunting!"_

"_Then let's get out of here! If anyone sees us around here, we'll get the same punishment she will."_

Mara felt the Force before any of her other senses returned. It awakened her body, bringing it out of its lethargy, urging her to get up; demanding that she get up.

"_Let's at least take the lightsaber. That'll be worth a fortune on the black market."_

"_Oh no, she's waking up! Everyone get out of here!"_

Mara finally managed to pry her eyes open. She quickly noticed she was still inside the escape pod, and just outside the front canopy was a quickly dispersing crowd of Ugnaughts. As she regained movement throughout her body, Mara felt a sharp pain in her left shoulder.

She immediately recognized the sensation and knew the bone must have gotten knocked out of its socket. Mara carefully unfastened her seat harness to liberate her other arm, and without even flinching punched her left shoulder blade back into place.

That last bit of stimuli was all Mara needed to regain full sensory awareness. As she got up out of her chair, she saw a crowd of Ugnaughts tripping over each other to get out of the escape pod. Mara's hand instinctively went to her belt where she was relieved to find her lightsaber still attached.

She stumbled towards the Ugnaughts who had almost all managed to leave the escape pod, except for one unlucky soul whom Mara picked up with the Force and pulled towards her. She held the Ugnaught under her arm like a pillow before finally exiting the escape pod.

What immediately struck her was the light. A beautiful blood-orange sunset cast a warm glow from over the horizon. Although it was not really a horizon, there was no sea in sight. In fact, there was not even any land in sight. From where she stood, the only thing in front of her were giant white clouds, stretching out as far as the eye could see.

"_Lady, I haven't done anything I just—"_

Mara distractedly covered the Ugnaught's mouth with her hand. She wanted to take stock of her situation before she started interrogating her captive. It appeared the escape pod had hit the side of the large metal structure she was in, but had come to a relatively quick halt once inside, only sliding across the ground over a couple of meters. Thankfully, it did not appear to have hit anybody.

Mara recalled the name of the planet she had been hurtling towards: Bespin. The only thing she remembered hearing about it was that it was a gas giant and was dotted with repulsorlifted mining complexes. The probability of landing on one, when every other part of the planet was covered in deathly toxic gas, was hard for Mara to wrap her head around.

_Is it that hard to wrap my head around?_ she wondered. _When I was running away on the Star Destroyer it felt as if every step I took was guided by something, and that that's what led me to the escape pod… After that, I somehow was not hit by any of the cannon fire and landed on one of the few places where I wouldn't die instantly…_

These thoughts brought Mara's eyes up towards the sky. Since she was so high up in the atmosphere, she could clearly make out two Star Destroyers looming over Bespin. One of them was likely the one she had escaped from; the place where Obi-Wan was held, or had been held…

Mara's eyes darkened as she remembered those last few minutes before she fell unconscious. Obi-Wan had seemed so confidant and determined when he sacrificed himself to save her, it was like all those weeks of torture and torment had had no effect on him. Mara now understood why the Emperor was no longer interested in keeping him alive: that kind of willpower was truly terrifying.

Obi-Wan had put his trust in Mara, laying himself on the line to save her. There was no question she would do exactly the same for him. As soon as she got off this planet, she would find wherever Obi-Wan had been taken and break him out.

Mara now felt ready to interrogate the Ugnaught, who by now had stopped trying to break free and was defeatedly waiting for her to be ready. She dragged her prisoner into a secluded side street and finally let him go, or rather let **her** go. It was only now that Mara realized she was dealing with a female Ugnaught.

She made sure to position herself between her and her escape route, although the Ugnaught did not seem interested in running. She had a strangely composed and laidback attitude.

"_What do you want?_" she asked boorishly.

"_Just information,_" Mara replied. Her Ugnaught was rusty but she could manage a simple conversation. "_Once I know enough, I'll let you go_."

"_How generous of you_," she replied sarcastically.

"_What's your name?_"

"_Bragnna. Friends call me Bragn, so you can call me Bragnna._"

"_Where am I? What mining colony is this?"_

"_This is Cloud City. Lando Calrissian's operation."_

"_I see_," Mara muttered to herself. She vaguely remembered both of those names in relation to Bespin. Cloud City was one of the planet's most profitable mining colonies and had somehow managed to avoid Imperial oversight; at least until now, judging by the orbiting Star Destroyers.

"_What is the Empire doing here?"_ Mara pressed. "_They shouldn't have any business in this sector."_

"_Yeah… figure you wouldn't know," _Bragnna grunted dispassionately. "_Word on the streets is that the Rebel princess is here. Probably been captured by now, though."_

_If Princess Leia Organa is here, Vader was more than likely sent to capture her_, Mara reasoned. _It will be even harder to escape off this planet now…_

Mara reflected carefully on all of this. Obi-Wan had briefly mentioned his role in the Rebel Alliance and his closeness to Leia Organa. After all, if Mara was no longer loyal to the Empire, and had chosen to follow the path of the Jedi, did that not make her an ally of the Rebellion?

That notion was quite strange to her but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Essentially all surviving Jedi who weren't in hiding were part of the Rebel Alliance. Not to mention Obi-Wan had been one of its top generals and advisors. If she wanted to save him and be loyal to him, it would be hypocritical to not also help his friends…

Mara was beginning to picture how this could all work out. Princess Leia and her Rebel friends had likely come here with a ship. Therefore, rescuing them would also give her a means of escape, as well as ingratiate her with the Rebel Alliance.

"_Alright you can go,"_ Mara told Bragnna evenly. "_Don't you dare tell anyone we met."_

"_Lady, like I ever want to remember meeting you,"_ Bragnna replied with a derisive snort.

As the Ugnaught slunk out of the alley, Mara focused on the Force to sense where Leia or Vader could be. She made sure to keep her own Force signature hidden so as to not arise the latter's suspicion. Vader's presence was quite clearly located towards the center of Cloud City, likely in the administrator's building.

It was strange but Mara also sensed a second Force signature around the same place. It was far stronger than that of an average person; it almost seemed like a Force-sensitive. Although judging by how jumbled and erratic this Force presence was, it seemed clear this was not someone with much training. Mara had no idea who this person could be so for now she decided to focus on Vader. Wherever he was, the princess would likely not be far away.

Mara took her lightsaber off her belt, holding it loosely in her hand, before Force jumping onto a nearby roof and running towards the administrator's building.

_I won't fail you Obi-Wan… I promise I'll save them._

* * *

Luke braced himself as his X-Wing decelerated out of hyperspace. The large, greenish gas giant of Bespin lay ahead of him. He did not even need to plot a course to Cloud City, the warnings he was receiving through the Force told him exactly where to go; as did the two Star Destroyers orbiting the planet.

"_Do you think they're alright?_" R2 beeped nervously. "_I don't know if 3PO can handle much more excitement."_

"Don't worry R2, I'll save them," Luke replied confidently into his comlink. "Let's just make sure we keep power consumption to a minimum as we enter the atmosphere. We don't want them to spot us just yet."

Luke carefully navigated his starfighter towards Bespin, staying far away from the Imperial Star Destroyers. He could now start to make out the "city in the clouds" from his vision. As he made his way towards it, R2 chirped in his ear:

"_Something's happened to the communications array! Someone is blocking all transmissions coming in and out of Cloud City."_

"Figure the Empire doesn't want any distress signals being sent out," Luke surmised. "Just hang on. We're almost there."

He could now clearly see Cloud City. In a different context he would have been impressed by its grand architecture and sumptuous location, but his mind was focused on other things at the moment. He couldn't sense anything through the Force, it had somehow become clouded; as if a thick fog lay over the entire city.

Luke had a bad feeling about this, but his confidence did not waver. Leia, Han, Chewie, and C3-PO needed his help, and he had grown powerful enough to hold his own… at least, that's what he hoped.

He cast his doubts aside, concentrating on setting his X-Wing down on an empty landing pad. It was located right next to the large central building around which the entire city gravitated; likely where his friends were being held. Luke waited for several, nerve-racking seconds inside the cockpit, expecting an army of Stormtroopers to burst out and attack him, but the platform remained empty.

Luke extricated himself from his seat and released R2 from his cradle. He removed his heavy orange flight suit, making sure his lightsaber was securely attached to his belt and his blaster's magazine was full. The Empire was clearly expecting him; all Luke had to do was spring their trap.

"_Luke, I just picked up a message on an encrypted Rebel frequency,"_ R2 chirped, rocking his body from side to side. "_It appears to be coming from Cloud City… the origin point is… the Millennium Falcon!"_

"Show the message," Luke said quickly.

"_It was recorded less than twenty-four hours ago_," R2 added before activating his holoprojector.

Luke was relieved when Leia's glowing blue hologram appeared. He was happy to see the determination and defiance had not left her eyes, though she appeared more grave and somber.

"_This is Princess Leia of the Alliance to Restore the Republic_," Leia spoke calmly. "_If you are one of us, get off this planet immediately and call in reinforcements. I fear the Empire is somehow involved on Bespin, and by the time you hear this message we may have already been captured. This is a direct order, whoever you may be: leave and get help! And remember, I know what I signed up for when I helped found the Rebellion. I refuse to become a hostage to be bartered. I trust you understand what I'm asking of you… Leia out."_

The hologram disappeared. Luke gently massaged the bridge of his nose as he reflected on what he had just heard. Leia's words were eerily similar to what Rahm and Yoda had said on Dagobah. She was ready to die for her ideals, and did not want the Rebellion to be put at risk by an attempt to rescue her…

_Was this truly the right choice?_ Luke desperately wondered.

"_I've found a second encrypted message inside the first,_" R2 beeped, drawing Luke's attention back towards him. "_This one requires a decryption key only I possess. It must be meant for you." _

R2 immediately projected the message without Luke even having to ask. It was Leia again, still the same, only her tone was warmer and more sincere:

"_Luke, I don't know what drew me to leave a message for you, since there's no chance you'll ever come anywhere near here. I've just been feeling some strange… presence. I'm not quite sure how to describe it. As if some intangible force is guiding and helping me; I think it's the reason why I feel nervous about Cloud City. I thought it might be the Force, although to be honest I'm not sure what it even is, exactly. It's the sort of thing I'd like to discuss with Obi-Wan or you, but… Anyway, if you are indeed here, please leave now. Go back to the Rebellion and try to send help. Just don't do anything rash or stupid… I'd know it if you were. Don't ask me why but I feel some sort of connection to you… On Hoth, it was like I could sense your thoughts; I felt you were heading towards a dark place, and when I spoke to you, you heard me. So please, hear me now: don't go any further. Go and get help before it's too late… I am not exaggerating when I say you may be our only hope…"_

Leia fell silent, but for some reason the recording continued to play. She just sat still, seemingly lost in thought. Luke was in a similar state, mulling over everything she had just told him, trying to justify to himself why he had come here.

Had he just been arrogant? Trapped in some delusion of single-handedly rescuing his friends from the Empire? He would be putting not just the fate of the Jedi at risk, but potentially the entire Rebellion… After all there was no telling Leia or Han would die… Perhaps he could bring back a Rebel assault squad to help him mount a rescue mission?

It was Leia's next and final words that put an end to all of Luke's hesitation:

"_I love you._"

By the time he looked up, the message had ended; the hologram was gone.

Luke did not know why, but those words had sounded so familiar coming from Leia. Not at all in a romantic sense, Luke had never seen her that way, and he was certain neither had she. It was something else… but if it was not romantic, why did it somehow feel normal for her to say it…

His mind was suddenly assaulted by a loud cry. It pierced Luke's ears, as if someone were screaming out in pain right next to him. He tried to find that person through the Force; he could feel their suffering. He knew who it was… it was… Han!

Luke did not hesitate. He ran to the door at the end of the landing pad that led inside the administrator's building. R2 quickly followed behind him.

"Open this door and connect to the building's mainframe," Luke said urgently. "See if you can find where Han and Leia are being held."

R2 connected to the data port, immediately opening the door and computing all the data in the blink of an eye.

"_A log entry states that one of the carbon-freeze chambers has been_ _requisitioned for a 'confidential Imperial project',_" R2 explained. "_Also, it appears the hyperdrive on the Millennium Falcon had been deactivated._"

"Alright, nothing we can do about it for now," Luke sighed, gripping his lightsaber tightly in his hand. "Just stay close to me and use your scanners. We don't know what they've got in store for us."

"_I'm right with you, Luke,"_ R2 chirped confidently.

They both entered the building, cautiously gaging their surroundings, unaware of the terrible threat that loomed ahead.

* * *

**Oh you hate me right now, right?**

**Don't worry, in the end, I promise it will be more satisfying this way (at least I hope).**

**Chapter 28 should come out between 1 to 2 weeks from now, depending on just how far into insanity I choose to go before I release it ;)**


	28. Standing on the Edge

**Hello…**

**I am sorry…**

**That is really all I can say. Exactly 2 months of wait between chapters is A LOT. Especially at a time like this in the story. I just happened to get sidetracked by other projects, alongside Corona which did not help all that much, and everything else that followed… To be honest it was hard to muster the proper mojo to write compelling fanfic chapters on the level of what I've already produced.**

**Long story short, this chapter does not yet feature the exchange I know everyone is waiting for (even though I promised it in the last chapter). That moment will be for chapter 29, where I wish to come at it with a maximum of vitality and motivation to make it as impactful as it deserves to be.**

**So consider chapter 28 my return gift, I hope it still proves enjoyable to everyone, even those who were expecting much more in this chapter. I will do my best to get over this slight hump and return for chapter 29 with as much strength and power as possible. I'm leaving for a 10 day vacation in three days so it'll help me relax and focus on writing I hope.**

**Alright, let's answer some comments. So sorry I had to keep you all waiting for these replies:**

**-** **Jeda31: Man, your comment really warms my heart and makes me even more remorseful for how much I've kept you waiting for this new entry. I'm sorry that you'll have to wait a little longer for the duel between you know who, I just really want to make sure I can make it as impactful as possible. Thank you so much for the continued support and I absolutely plan to pay off all of the future events in satisfying ways ;)**

**-** **RKF22: I feel like that statement is especially true now ;) Really sorry for the wait, perhaps I truly am a Sith? May the Force be with you.**

**-** **dloold87: I like how you think I could be so crazy/sadistic to do that to Mara ;) She still has so much more she can accomplish in this story, it would be cruel not to see it through.**

**-** **Bountyhunter1977: Maybe… ;) Stay tuned for chapter 29 to find out.**

**-** **the8horcrux: It's sadly how ironic how just as we talk about my update schedule I fall of the face of the planet for 2 months. From now on I feel I need to take it one chapter at a time, but don't worry, I'm determined to get back into the rhythm. And don't worry I hate myself too sometimes… very much.**

**Without futher ado, let us get on with chapter 28! Please favorite, follow and review if you enjoy.**

* * *

Leia tried to get her thoughts straightened out as she sat alone in her cell. After being captured by Vader, Han, Chewie, and herself had been separated. Leia had no idea where either of them were, nor 3PO for that matter; if he had not already been deactivated, or worse...

The cell Leia had been thrown into was quite large and hexagonally shaped. The walls were made out of corrugated black durasteel. The only source of light came from an opening in the ceiling at the center of the room, which cast a pale glow across the reflective surfaces of Leia's cell.

Her immediate instincts were to look for a way out, but that quickly proved to be of little use. There was nothing else in the room she could use to escape, and the only way in or out was through the main door. There were no windows, no vents, even the light coming from the ceiling was just artificial.

Once Leia was certain that escape was not a possibility, she checked her pockets and any other place where something could be hidden. The most useful piece of equipment was her communicator, although since all off-planet communications were blocked, it would not do much good. The only people she knew on this planet were either imprisoned, or traitorous scum.

Just thinking about Lando made Leia's blood boil. She regretted not having acted on her instincts sooner, or was her instinct really just a warning from the Force? Either way, she regretted not pushing Han to find a planet other than Bespin for them to make their repairs. If she had been clearer, more headstrong, more direct, more competent as the leader she was supposed to be, none of this would have happened…

_Look not towards the past in sorrow. Look towards the future with hope._

Leia jerked her head up, scanning her surroundings to see where the voice had come from. Of course, she was alone in her cell, and the voice had only spoken in her mind, much like Obi-Wan's had. It did not sound like his voice though, it was much older, lower and raspier, likely not spoken by a human.

Had this person spoken to her through the Force? Leia had not really thought about the Force since leaving her room with Han. Could she communicate with people though it? Then that meant she could ask this person to call for help!

Leia eased her thoughts, calmed her breathing, and focused on hearing the voice again; trying to picture a metaphysical communicator between them that would allow them to talk. Leia felt the connections was clouded and blurry, but when she tried to push past it, the voice spoke again, much sterner and serious:

_Stay hidden you must. Know about you he will! In time, learn you will, but now, hide your gift you must!_

And just like that, the connection was severed; the metaphysical communicator that had started to form between them was shattered.

Leia now felt truly helpless. The rupture had been so abrupt and sudden, she wished she had been able to ask this person exactly what they were talking about. It was entirely possible this person was a Jedi, likely they even knew Obi-Wan…

_Hide your gift…_ Leia pondered. _What could he be referring to…?_

It did not take long for her to surmise what this person was talking about. Leia had no outstanding gifts or abilities to speak of; at least she thought not, until earlier today. Her connection to the Force had been so sudden and surprising she had not taken a moment to ask how it impacted her. Not everyone was able to use the Force. Anyone with such an ability was an incredibly valuable ally for the Rebellion, and by extension, one for the Empire as well.

What would happen to Leia if Vader found out she was Force-sensitive? She got goosebumps just thinking about it. She could not let him know about her connection to the Force; somehow, she would have to disguise it—

_AAAH!_

A scream violently tore through Leia's thoughts, causing her to spontaneously cover her ears before realizing it would do her no good. A long, agonized cry echoed in her mind which she was unable to block. Through the Force she could sense the pain of this screaming person; Leia contorted on the ground, feeling everything that they were feeling.

As she desperately tried to think clearly, a sudden image flashed in her mind that pained her even more than the screams… it was Han. He was crying out from the torture, and Leia was powerless to help him. All she could do was curl up in a ball and desperately try to block out his cries.

Finally, after several agonizing seconds, the screaming stopped; as did the pain. The Force was once again calm and unreadable, as if it had all been a bad dream; but Leia knew better. That experience had shaken her to her very core

_No… it can't mean Han is… dead?_

The sudden thought paralyzed her with fear, but before she could react, two Stormtroopers entered her cell, grabbed each of her arms, and dragged her out into the corridor. Leia did not even have time to fight back before they shoved her into another cell. A wave of relief passed over her when she saw Han laying on a bench in front of her; very much alive.

He looked terrible, which was already an understatement. His skin was pale and clammy with sweat, his eyes were glazed over and distant. When Leia held Han's hand she could feel him trembling, although he seemed to register her presence when he gripped her finger tightly and a strained smile spread on his lips.

"We should have… taken that vacation… sooner," Han said slowly with a slight stutter.

"Let's not risk jinxing it any further," Leia replied with a smile as she tenderly stroked his hair.

Chewie stood next to them, looking at Han with a sad and concerned gaze. Leia saw the remains of C3-PO in a corner of the room, which the Wookie had begun to reassemble. At least for now, they were all together; it was not much comfort, but at least it gave Leia hope.

"_What did they want from you?_" Chewie growled angrily.

"They never even asked me any questions…" Han sighed in resignation.

Leia paused when she heard him say that. What was Vader's plan here? If they were interested in capturing Leia or Han to get information they would have taken them up onto a Star Destroyer for interrogation. Instead, they decided to keep them all on Cloud City to torture Han without trying to extract any information out of him?

Slowly, a thought began to form in Leia's mind; a strange suspicion she had had which now felt very plausible. It explained the sudden obscurity of the Force on Cloud City, as well as the sudden blocking of all outgoing communications… If Leia had been able to sense that Han was in pain, it meant a more attuned Force user would be able to sense it from much further away, even more so if this person knew Han personally; and there was only one person in the galaxy that fit that profile and in whom the Empire had shown significant interest…

_Cloud City isn't a trap for us. It's a trap for Luke!_

Just as she made this horrifying realization, the door to their cell opened and in walked Lando, flanked by several of his security guards. While Leia managed to keep her seething rage at bay as she helped Han to stand up, Chewie had no such restraint. He let out a furious roar and would have no doubt torn Lando to shreds if the guards did not have their blasters trained on him and his friends.

Han's eyes managed to focus on his traitorous ex-friend. His voice was strained but still venomous:

"Get out of here you—"

"Shut up and listen!" Lando snapped. Leia was surprised to see nervousness and even fear in his eyes. It was a far cry from the carefree and debonair playboy she had initially taken him for.

"Vader's agreed to turn Leia and Chewie over to me," Lando explained quickly, locking eyes with Han.

"What are you talking about…?" Han ground out.

"They'll have to stay here but at least they'll be safe," Lando continued.

Leia did not like how the tension in Han's shoulders relaxed when he heard that. There was a significant component missing in Lando's explanation.

"What about Han?" Leia asked.

"Vader's giving him to the bounty hunter," Lando said, disguising his frustration.

Leia was afraid of what he would say next. It sounded as if exactly what she had feared was coming true.

"Vader wants us all dead…" Han grumbled.

"He doesn't want you at all!" Lando shouted back, nervously wringing his hands together. "He's after somebody else! Someone called… Skywalker!"

"Luke…" Han whispered, slowly realizing what his friend was about to walk into; in no small part because Han had insisted on going to Cloud City. "No…"

"Cloud City wasn't a trap for us," Leia finally voiced the painful truth. "Vader wants Luke."

"Yes, and he's on his way," Lando said remorsefully, lowering his gaze in defeat. Although at this point, it was an empty gesture to Leia and Han who stared back at him with contempt.

Han pulled himself to his feet, somehow finding the strength to stay upright. His stare bore into Lando; his tone was cold and bitter:

"You fixed this up real good, didn't you? I called you my friend and you've just murdered the kid who was like my brother, you…"

As Lando looked back towards Han, he punched him square in the jaw, sending his old friend tumbling to the ground; although the effort proved to be too much for Han to handle in his weakened state as he too crumbled to the floor. One of the guards hit Han in the back of the head with the butt of his blaster while the other kept Leia and Chewie at bay.

Lando quickly jumped to his feet and held back the guard who was about to strike Han a second time. His gaze was unreadable as he put his cape back around his shoulders; his tone was resigned:

"I've done all I can. I'm sorry I couldn't do better but I've got my own problems."

"Yeah…" Han groaned between his teeth. "You're a real hero."

Lando looked back towards him and Leia with a pained expression before wiping it away and storming out of the cell.

"You certainly have a way with people," Leia whispered to Han.

"Believe me, it's better I punched him instead of Chewie," he replied with a smirk as he massaged the bump on his head.

"_I could have just slapped him with 3PO's arm_," the Wookie growled with a short laugh.

This moment of levity was quickly interrupted when a squad of Stormtroopers and Deathtroopers marched into the cell, just as Lando and his guards left.

Leia made sure to not reach out or even think about the Force, as she slipped her hand into Han's, who squeezed it back reassuringly.

They were escorted down a maze of identical white corridors until they finally reached an unassuming door that opened into a pitch-black room. Leia had to watch her steps as she walked down a flight of steps into a large room that reminded her of a combat arena in its layout.

The air inside was thick with a strange metallic taste, and the temperature was several degrees lower compared to outside. The dark and ominous appearance of the room was not helped by the red lights that cast sinister shadows on every surface.

As they were brought to the center of the room, Leia felt she had stepped into hell. Metal claws and tubes venting clouds of excess steam hung from the ceiling. There were strange energy cells and cables strewn all over the place which were being connected by several Ugnaught workers.

And it would not have been hell without a demon to greet them; a role which Vader seemed perfectly suited for in this environment. His polished black helmet and armor made him disappear amidst the mostly dark background, but the red accents brought out his silhouette, making it even more imposing.

Aside from Vader, his Stormtroopers, and the Ugnaughts, there was also Boba Fett, who's helmeted gaze followed Han carefully as the smuggler walked past him. In this analogy, he was the devil's loyal servant; both unable to display human emotions.

The only other person they knew was Lando. He did not even look at them when they entered, his gaze was riveted on whatever was inside that gaping hole in the floor. Leia wanted to punch herself when she almost used the Force to try to see what he was thinking about. This was absolutely not the moment to get caught! Although she could guess that whatever deal Lando had struck with Vader had backfired; such was the fate of anyone who thought the Empire could be trusted to honor their word. He was the last piece of this hellish recreation: the fallen angel, corrupted by false promises and fear.

Leia and Han's hands had not separated since leaving their cell, even though he had his hands cuffed behind his back. They stayed shoulder to shoulder, looking straight ahead, communicating all they needed to through their intertwined hands. Every squeeze or caress said more than any words could. Whatever was coming, they would face it together; that was their unspoken vow.

Leia avoided staring at Vader as he descended a flight of stairs towards the center of the room. Han, who had mostly recovered from the torture, leaned close to Lando's ear:

"What's going on, buddy?" he asked with a mix of sarcasm and scorn.

"You're being put into carbon freeze," Lando said between his teeth, barely looking towards Han.

Leia felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest. The only knowledge she had about carbon freezing was that it was used to preserve tibanna gas during long-distance travel. Doing it on a human being was insane; it would kill him! It made no sense for Vader to do this, unless…

"They're going to use it on Luke," Leia muttered despite the rising lump in her throat.

"Yes," Lando whispered back, avoiding her eyes and keeping his locked on the floor. "If Han survives, they'll do the same to Skywalker."

Chewie let out a guttural growl of anguish when he heard this. Leia could no longer control herself, and neither could Han. They both turned towards each other and she wrapped her arms around him tightly as he desperately kissed her neck and cheek.

Chewie grew more and more erratic, despite 3PO's protest, and eventually pushed the two Stormtroopers next to him over the safety railing. He grunted and cried in protest, punching and scratching at the other Stormtroopers who tried to restrain him. Leia watched in horror as Boba Fett prepared to fire on the Wookie, only for Vader to hold him back when he heard Han yell:

"Stop, Chewie! STOP!"

Chewbacca continued to roar in anger directly into Han's face, but the smuggler just stared back into his eyes with cold determination. Leia could not understand what Chewie was saying; he was speaking to Han as he had never spoken to anyone else in his life: this man was his closest and dearest friend.

"Chewie, listen to me!" Han continued to speak as the Wookie kept groaning in protest, holding his paws reassuringly. "This won't help me. Save your strength."

Chewie finally calmed down, although it was more out of resignation and crushing sadness. A couple of Stormtroopers were able to put him in handcuffs and separate him from Han.

"There'll be another time," the smuggler said solemnly, managing a charismatic smile. "I promise… there'll be another time. Please protect Leia… You have to keep her safe. You hear me?"

Chewie whimpered and cried softly, tears brimming in his wide intelligent eyes. Leia patted and petted the Wookie's fur slowly as she crossed eyes with Han.

At that moment, they both acted as one, closing the gap between them to share a single passionate kiss. This one held no pleasure or romance. It was a desperate kiss, a final kiss… a death kiss. One that ended far too soon when Han was pulled away by two Stormtroopers and placed in the center of the room, right where the gaping hole had been.

Just as Leia was about to speak, Han somehow uttered the exact words she wanted to say:

"I love you."

"I know."

Her reply had come out instinctively. Leia almost wished she had said something better, but she ignored it when she saw Han flash his charming, beautiful smile. She watched as he was lowered into the freezing chamber; the man she loved, swallowed by the pits of hell…

Leia heard the machine above him rumbling. There was a long whistle that got louder and louder; she knew in a couple seconds it would all be over…

Han suddenly opened his eyes when a small, slender body crashed into his. His eyes widened when he saw Leia standing next to him as cold fog pooled around their legs. Just as he was about to speak, she kissed him again, this time with all the love and affection their previous kiss should have had.

"I love you," Leia whispered.

"I—"

* * *

Luke tried to sense from where Han's scream had come from but something was preventing him, or rather someone was preventing him. When he had ventured inside the administrator's building, the living Force around him had become clouded and confused.

"R2, where's this carbonite-freeze chamber?" Luke asked the droid who followed him diligently.

"_If we keep heading towards the center of the building, there should be a passage that leads straight to it_," R2 beeped affirmatively.

Luke gripped his lightsaber tighter in his hand. Even though he sensed nothing through the Force, it felt like an invisible net was slowly tightening around him. Luke knew Vader was only interested in him; his friends were just bait to draw him in; but that only strengthened his resolve. He would not; he could not; let any harm come to them because of him. Even if he had to suffer, as long as his friends were safe, he would bear it gladly…

As he progressed forward, he began to sense a vague presence somewhere in the building. He could not make out who or what it was, but he could sense the energy it gave off: it was the Dark Side: Vader…

That monster was like a constant shadow looming over Luke. He remembered the vision he had on Dagobah; the way he murdered Leia without remorse… Luke had encountered his fair share of reprehensible people growing up on Tattooine, but Vader was lightyears beyond that. It was as if his entire being was consumed with rage and malice; that was what he had sensed when Obi-Wan battled him on Hoth…

_Obi-Wan…_

Luke's mind wandered back to his old master. Where was he? How was he faring? What had the Empire done to him? These were all questions that could have driven Luke sick with anxiety, but he simply released them into the Force, along with his worries. He could not help his master now; saving his friends and defeating Vader would help Obi-Wan more than aimlessly worrying about him.

"_We're nearing the access point,_" R2 chirped quietly.

"Thanks," Luke whispered.

He hugged the wall nearest to him, staying close to it as he peeked around a corner. He had not run into a single person since entering the building, Imperial or otherwise. For the central hub of Bespin's most profitable mining colony that was very strange. Just how far had the Empire gone in setting up this trap for him?

Luke suddenly sensed several presences just ahead of him, along with the echo of footsteps, as well as a strange clinking sound, like credits being dropped on the floor. He made sure to mask his Force presence as he peered around the corner.

Just ahead of him, coming out from a side corridor, was a tall armored man wearing a jetpack and carrying an EE-3 carbine rifle. His helmet and outfit bore similarities to that of a Stormtrooper, but the color scheme and strange assortment of weapons made it unlikely he served the Empire. He must have been hired: a bounty hunter.

As this mysterious person walked by, he was followed by two Bespin Wing Guards and two Stormtroopers escorting what appeared to be a slab of carbonite. Although Luke immediately knew it was not just preserved tibanna gas. He could make out certain irregularities and bumps on the top of the carbonite slab, in addition to the fact that no one guarded tibanna gas so heavily.

Once the group had moved out of his line of sight, Luke moved to follow them. He was careful not to be too hasty to avoid being spotted. Unfortunately, R2 did not have the same reflex. He bumped into the back of Luke's legs, letting out an apologetic chirp that echoed through the corridor.

Praying that nobody had heard that, Luke proceeded forward, only to immediately fall back when the bounty hunter emerged from behind a column and fired a volley of lasers towards him. His shots were extremely accurate, but Luke was safe as long as he stayed behind the corner. Whoever this person was, they were very good; and very deadly.

When the shooting stopped, Luke took a tentative glance around the corner to see the bounty hunter moving away from him. Luke gritted his teeth when R2 began pushing against him, letting out a series of alarmed beeps:

"_I'm picking up a life form on my scanners. It's so large it must be Chewie._"

Luke waved the little droid away, not uttering a word, his eyes fixed on where the bounty hunter had just disappeared. He ran up to column behind which he had been hidden but no one was there, and there were three different corridors the bounty hunter could have gone down.

Luke smiled to himself. _This guy has no idea who he's dealing with_. He focused his energy to track where the bounty hunter had gone. Despite the clouded and jumbled living Force, Luke was still able to make out the faint presence of the masked bounty hunter.

He ran down the central corridor, using the Force to speed up his movements. He was aware of R2's protests as he trailed far behind him, but Luke simply tuned them out; his battle instincts were taking over, his body was raring for a fight.

He caught up with the bounty hunter and his group just as they arrived on a landing pad where a strangely shaped ship was parked. Luke ignited his lightsaber just as the bounty hunter fired a barrage of shots towards him. This time, however, he was ready for them. He deflected all of the blaster bolts perfectly, maintaining his momentum as he ran towards the bounty hunter.

The latter activated his jetpack, flying high up into the air, still firing shots at Luke. In addition, the Stormtroopers and Wing Guards were aiming their blasters towards him. Luke registered all of this, but there was simply no way he could deflect them all in time; at least one of those lasers would hit him. For a brief moment, Luke's entire body tensed up in fear, but in the next moment, he felt someone call out to him, telling him what he needed to do…

BANG!

When Luke opened his eyes, the four men in front of him were all dead, killed by blaster shots to the head; their own blaster shots. Luke had deflected the shots using the Force; it had saved his life. But it felt different from when he had done it with Yoda. He had not felt in control. For a moment, it was as if Luke had surrendered his body to someone else who had deflected the shots and killed these four men.

Luke felt a wave of sickness wash over him when he saw the two security guards lifeless faces; blood pooling around their heads. He wanted to throw up but held back: the bounty hunter was still here.

For some reason, he had stopped shooting at Luke. He observed the scene below him and slowly lowered himself back onto the ground, a few meters away from Luke. When he spoke, his voice was low and gravelly:

"That's a pretty impressive trick, kid. Had I been any closer that might have hit me."

Luke tore his eyes away from the dead body and tried to keep his voice steady when he replied:

"I didn't want to kill them… I… they left me no choice!"

"You don't need to justify killing to me, kid," the bounty hunter replied humorously, moving closer to the carbonite slab. "I do it for a living; you did it because you could. I've seen how you Jedi work… all that power at your fingertips, who can blame you for wanting to let it loose once in a while. Took me a while to understand that about you."

"I'm no murderer," Luke replied evenly, stepping closer to the bounty hunter. "The Jedi only use their power for…"

The words died in Luke's throat when he glanced at the carbonite slab in front of him. What he had thought were irregularities and bumps were actually fingers and faces… Two faces, who despite the carbonite freeze he could still clearly recognize: Han and Leia. They were wrapped in each other's arms; both with solemn smiles on their faces.

Luke felt a deep, seething rage bubbling in his veins. He could not think straight, the Force did not even matter to him right now. He wanted to make him PAY.

He locked his eyes on the bounty hunter in front of him, feeling his emotion quickly unraveling as he raised his sword to strike him.

"If you do that, they _will_ die," the bounty hunter stated simply.

Luke paused. He glared at his enemy who simply held his finger above the control panel on his wrist. Luke wanted to ignore him and take the bounty hunter down now, but a small voice in the back of his mind told him to wait.

"What are you talking about?!" he snapped.

"I control the settings on this carbonite slab," the bounty hunter explained. "If I press this button, it'll overcharge the cooling system and kill your friends instantly."

Luke's stomach tightened. This threat was serious; one wrong move and his friends would be dead. Could he somehow reach the bounty hunter before he had a chance to fire a shot? No. He could not afford to take such a risk.

"What do you want?" Luke asked slowly.

"I just need to get off this planet with my cargo and deliver it to my client," the bounty hunter replied, slowly backing up towards his ship. "We can go our separate ways here and you can try to save your friends another day; or… I kill them and we fight each other to the death."

Luke flexed his jaw; tightened his grips around his lightsaber; ran all the scenarios through his mind of how he could keep this bounty hunter from killing his friends and take him down, but ultimately, Luke stayed put and deactivated his lightsaber. He simply could not risk it…

"Smart move, kid," the bounty hunter said as he walked up his ship's boarding ramp. "Let's hope we get a chance to properly throw down sometime."

"Who are you?" Luke asked, trying to keep the bitterness and anger out of his voice.

As the bounty hunter loaded Han and Leia's bodies into his ship and closed the boarding ramp, he looked back towards Luke and simply said:

"Boba Fett."

A few seconds later the ship lifted off from the landing pad, and a few seconds after that it disappeared into the infinite expanse of space to some unknown destination. Luke waited silently for several seconds, trying to get his thoughts in order. He felt pain, regret, and powerlessness, but he did his best to push it all away.

_I didn't have a choice… _Luke reasoned to himself. _There was nothing I could do!_

_Is that supposed to be an excuse? _a sinister voice at the back of his mind retorted. _You were too afraid to make the choice that needed to be made, and you lacked the power to see it through. Was all that training truly for nothing?_

Luke shook his head hard, refocusing his thoughts on the present. He needed to trust in the Force, remember his training, not let his emotions be swayed by strange visions and voices in his mind. This was no different from the cave on Dagobah; this voice was just preying on his insecurities to make him doubt his abilities.

_I AM a Jedi, _Luke reflected, doing his best to ease the tension across his body. _I AM ready for this…_

The young man's thoughts were cut short when R2 came barreling at full speed onto the landing platform. Luke narrowly dodged the incoming droid who came to a screeching halt a few feet past him.

"_What were you thinking?!" _R2 beeped aggressively. "_I can't keep up with you like this. I was trying to tell you—"_

"Hey, easy there, R2," Luke said calmly with a small smile as he patted the astromech's head. "I just… got ahead of myself. But we still need to find Chewie and 3PO. Have you been able to find them?"

"_I can deduce C3-PO's location, though he's not giving off much of a signal," _R2 whistled. "_We need to head back the way we came; I should get a stronger signal there. Let's hope Han and Leia are with them."_

It was like a gut punch when R2 said that, but Luke made sure to keep his expression neutral and focus on his breathing. Anyway, it was not like he had to worry about R2 being able to sense his emotions.

"I'm sure we'll find them soon," Luke replied, turning away from R2 and walking back inside the building. "Let's just keep moving…"

The backtracking was done in silence, neither Luke nor R2 feeling inclined to say anything to relax the atmosphere. The young man was still on his guard for any Imperials but he was beginning to realize it was unlikely he would ever run into any. This entire setup was all leading to one thing and one person; and Luke was now very much raring to spring the trap.

When he returned to the large white room where he had engaged Boba Fett, Luke was struck by just how silent this place was. Not even a distant buzz of vehicles or the sounds of the city below could be heard; it was like a tomb. Luke snorted derisively at the comparison. A tomb was for those who are already dead, this place was something else entirely; even now he could feel a dark presence tugging at his mind, begging him to listen, just like on the landing pad…

Suddenly, a sharp hiss broke the hallowed silence. A door had just opened a few feet away from Luke and R2, and when it did, the dark presence seemed to grow even louder; inviting him forward; demanding to see his abilities…

Luke walked towards the open door with determination but was cut off by R2 who quickly rolled up in front of him, blocking him from going any further.

"R2 get out of my way," Luke spoke tensely. He tried to get around the droid but he simply moved in front of him again.

"_C3-PO's signal is not in this direction,"_ R2 beeped harshly. "_We're obviously being set up for a trap and for some reason, which I cannot process, you seem determined to spring this trap."_

"I NEED to face Vader, R2," Luke spoke evenly, slowly losing patience arguing with a droid. "If I defeat him now there's no telling how much suffering I can prevent."

"_You're joking?!"_ R2 screeched. "_We came here to rescue our friends, not fight Vader! Let's get to them as quickly as possible and get off this infernal city!"_

"I am not asking for your opinion! I will save Chewie and 3PO after I deal with Vader—"

"_And what if you die?" _R2's candid question made Luke pause in surprise. "_What if Vader kills you? What then? Am I supposed to go free Chewie and 3PO by myself?"_

"R2, I—"

"_No, Luke. Please… listen. I promised Obi-Wan not to tell you anything about Vader, but… if you go through that door… I don't think you're ready to face what you might learn."_

Luke observed the little blue astromech for several seconds, unable to understand why such conviction came from this droid. He felt as if his words were the words of so many others, begging him not to go through with this, pleading him not to face Vader…

"I… can't let their sacrifices be in vain," Luke finally said.

Before R2 could respond, Luke lifted him up in the air with the Force and stepped through the open door, which immediately shut behind him.

* * *

**I hope it kept you entertained as we prepare for the epic climax. Until chapter 29 everyone :)**


	29. Fates Collide

**Hello... you're mad... I understand. But hey, at least this time there was less wait than for chapter 28 ;)**

**It seems that vacation has just slowed my creative mojo, at least when it comes to fanfiction writing. During the year I would write fanfiction chapters alongside my work writing my second feature-length screenplay and I feel it was during that time I did my best work. Now that the script is finished, the fanfiction writing seems to have taken a hit somehow.**

**So anyway, don't know if Chapter 30 will come out before the uni year start again. I'm curious to try other writing projects, so I think I'll take a break from the fanfic for a while and hopefully come back with new mojo and proper creative energy.**

**Man, that was a bit of a downer... but don't worry, this chapter is now officially the longest one I've ever written at nearly 10,000 words! So... you know... make of that what you wish. I just couldn't leave you guys without writing the final climactic duel. Hope it was worth the wait.**

**Alright! Review answering time:**

**-Guest: Yeah I see what you mean. I'm trying to experiment with the Jedi's approach towards guilt and loss, hopefully, to make it more interesting.**

**-RFK22: Hope you like it! May the Force be with you.**

**-Jeda31: Thank you soooo much for all your feedback and praise! I really hope I was able to make some stuff payoff in that chapter and in this one. Thank you for sticking with it for so long.**

**-Krysta Farrell: I'm really touched by the time and energy you put into writing all of your reviews. I'm very happy to see you enjoy it. I think taking a break from the fanfic for a little bit will help with the writer's block/depression, thank you for speaking about it, it really helped. I just feel I'm reaching a stage where I'm writing out of some obligation to keep posting chapters rather than a sincere passion to write good stuff. This break will do me some good and I'll come back fresh and with plenty of new ideas :) May the Force be with you!**

**-the8horcrux: I know what you mean ;) Even I lose track sometimes. I hope you like this one, doesn't need much to catch up on too.**

**-Guest: Soooo many questions ;) Read and they will all be answered...**

**Thank you very, very much for all your reviews. I hope this new chapter ends up being worth the wait.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The first thing that hit Luke when he entered the carbonite-freezing chamber was the smell; a strong iron smell laced with a noxious chemical scent that made Luke gag. The cold air peppered his skin with goosebumps while the foggy atmosphere amplified every light source.

This space gave off a deeply oppressive feeling. Luke could not look at any part of the room without imagining Han and Leia standing there, moments away from being frozen in carbonite... _And I was unable to stop them…_

Luke's thoughts were interrupted when the hatch through which he had entered suddenly closed behind him; as if he needed any more indications that he had been led into a trap. The Force felt even more clouded and confused than before; Luke was unable to sense anything around him. There was only a cold wind that whistled through the room.

Looking down at his hands, Luke was taken aback by what he saw. The knuckles on his right hand were white because of how strongly he was gripping his lightsaber, while his left hand trembled ever so slightly. Now that he stopped to notice, Luke realized his entire body felt tense and dysfunctional: his shoulders were tight, his breathing was shallow, he was sweating despite the coolness of the room, nothing was right…

_What is happening to me? _Luke wondered in disbelief. _What have I been doing? What about my training?_

Luke felt oddly self-aware as he took stock of how he had acted since leaving Dagobah. Impatient, emotional, aggressive, fearful, angry… Those were all supposed to be the old him; the Luke from before Dagobah. Yet it had only taken a few hours for him to completely revert to his bad habits and undisciplined behavior?

_No. I've grown beyond it,_ Luke chided himself. _Remember my training… Concentrate… Be patient…_

Luke returned his lightsaber to his belt, closed his eyes, and knelt on the cold durasteel floor. _Clear your mind, and feel the Force_. He started by tuning out all his other senses; no longer could he smell the noxious air or hear any unsettling noises: it was just him, and the Force.

Even if it was being clouded by someone, Luke was still able to reach the peace and serenity he had found on Dagobah; that calming warmth he had sensed in Yoda he was now able to summon here, albeit a far less powerful version of it. He allowed this pulsating heat to wash away his tenseness, worries, pains, leaving him with a feeling of clarity and most importantly: patience.

He would need both of these qualities since Luke now sensed he was no longer alone inside the carbon-freezing chamber. It was subtle, but the living Force had shifted ever so slightly; darkened ever so noticeably. He honed in on this new presence, gauging where it was and what its intentions were. For now, it only seemed to be observing him; pacing around the circumference of the room, like a predator eying its prey.

_Or so he thinks, _Luke thought calmly, despite the knot he could feel forming in his stomach.

If he wanted to hold his own in this fight, he needed to start by winning the battle of minds. Luke needed to strengthen his resolve and will; convince himself that he was powerful enough to win, and never doubt himself or his abilities. If he were to lose his level-headedness and strategic mind, like he had almost done against Boba Fett, his opponent would pick up on it immediately and it would be the beginning of the end.

_Be patient… Concentrate… _Luke recited to himself. _No passion: serenity. No chaos: harmony. No death…_

"The Force is with you, young Skywalker," the booming, mechanical baritone echoed across the room with ominous menace. Luke kept his eyes closed, steeling his nerves; sharpening his senses.

"Your powers have grown considerably," Vader continued as he paced around the chamber. "Your presence is stronger; more assured. Less frivolous and fickle… I see Obi-Wan and Yoda's training in you. They have taught you well, but you are not a Jedi yet."

Luke kept his breathing even; not letting himself be goaded by Vader's words. That monster knew nothing of what it took to be a Jedi; he had betrayed Obi-Wan and his teachings in service of the Dark Side; this… abomination had betrayed and murdered his father. Luke was going to teach Vader how costly it was to underestimate him.

He slowly opened his eyes and rose to his feet to face his opponent. Vader stood at the top of the stairs leading towards the exit of the freezing chamber. Luke could not make out the features of his mask as his entire body melded into a dark silhouette against the red and blue steam emanating behind him.

Luke took his time approaching Vader. It was not wise to give him the advantage of the high ground. Luke smiled, remembering one of the first lessons Obi-Wan had ever taught him. He took each step up the stairs slowly, keeping his Force presence steady and at peace. Vader's Force signature was equally enigmatic; Luke was barely able to sense it, his emotions were completely sealed away.

Finally, he came face to face with Vader; they were less than a meter apart. Luke could now make out his insect-like lenses that caught the red glow of the room, gleaming like rubies. Vader was much taller than him and stronger due to his cybernetic enhancements but Luke let all those concerns dissolve into the Force as he unclipped his lightsaber from his belt.

_I am a Jedi, _Luke repeated, one final time. _This is for Obi-Wan… and my father._

The young man ignited his blue lightsaber, gripping it with both hands and dropping into the Form V combat stance. In turn, Vader ignited his red lightsaber, holding it firmly in one hand as he pointed it towards Luke.

Their blades crossed, inching closer and closer to each other's faces; Luke's blue blade illuminated Vader's helmet, deepening every hollow of his mask, while his crimson blade gave Luke's perspiring skin a strange, otherworldly glow.

They held this stance for several seconds, searching each other's Force presences, trying to pick up on a tell. Luke wanted to dry his palms but resisted the impulse. Vader's artificial breathing continued echoing across the room, like seconds ticking away on a clock…

The Dark Lord's Force presence seemed to ebb ever so slightly: THAT was when Luke attacked. As soon as he picked up on the irregularity, the young man brought his sword down in a sweeping arch, straight towards Vader's head. His reflexes were razor sharp. The Sith Lord easily blocked the strike with his blade, not even needing to use both hands to do it.

Luke took a cautious step back, not surprised that his strike had been blocked; it would have been too easy.

_But he is fast… inhumanly fast, _Luke thought, tempering his dismay. _I need to find a way to overwhelm him; get him to show his true power…_

Luke tightened his grip on his lightsaber, planted his feet firmly on the ground, and concentrated on the Force delivering a powerful downward swing which Vader also caught on his blade. However, instead of backing away, Luke continued pressing down on his opponent's lightsaber, using his entire body weight to lean into the strike.

Luke could feel Vader trying to push him away, but there was no way he could do it while only holding his lightsaber with one hand. Luke resisted the urge to smile when he saw the Dark Lord grip the hilt of his weapon with two hands and also plant his feet into the ground to be more stable.

They were at a standstill; both pushing as hard as they could against the other's lightsaber, with neither side giving an inch. Luke was struggling to keep his Force presence disguised, and he was frustrated to see that Vader's Force signature had still not shown any cracks.

_Let's see how long that lasts._

Luke focused more intently on the living Force, drawing upon its strength and revealing his true Force presence. He felt a surge of power in his arms and legs which allowed him to suddenly push forward against Vader's blade, bringing it within couple inches of the Dark Lord's helmet.

_Come on, you bastard! Show me what you're made of!_

_As you wish…_

Before Luke could register the voice that had spoken in his head, Vader's presence morphed into something completely unthinkable; his power and menace were unlike anything Luke had ever sensed. In one quick motion, Vader pushed his blade away with such overpowering strength it sent Luke reeling several feet backward, almost sending him careening down the stairs.

Thankfully, Luke caught himself and immediately prepared to defend against a follow-up attack; but it did not come. Vader simply stood in the same place as before, lightsaber in one hand. His Force presence was no longer disguised: it pulsated with raw power.

_No! My mind is giving voice to my fears, just like on Dagobah. I CAN beat him!_

Luke cautiously approached Vader, almost expecting to hear him reply to his thoughts, but he did not. The Dark Lord just observed him enigmatically; Luke could sense some strange emotion coming from Vader which he could not identify.

Luke launched a quick series of slashes and jabs which were all masterfully deflected. He could not understand why Vader had not yet gone on the attack. Every time he tried to strike him, Luke felt like he was hitting against a wall. Vader's lightsaber barely budged and he pushed Luke away with such force it nearly made him fall over.

Luke blinked away the sweat that was falling over his eyes as he slowly paced around Vader, still looking for an opening. He was aware of the stairs directly behind him so he needed to find a way to break Vader's defenses if he did not wish to lose the high ground.

"You have learned much, young one," Vader said.

"You'll find I'm full of surprises," Luke snapped back.

He unleashed a quick series of slashes and jabs, but with every strike, it seemed that Vader knew exactly where Luke's blade would go. The speed at which he deflected all his attacks was unreal. Luke felt like he was fighting in slow motion; his senses could barely keep up…

Suddenly, as he attempted a stab towards Vader's gut, the Dark Lord caught the edge of his blade with his own, and in a single, deft movement twisted Luke's lightsaber out of his hand, sending it flying towards the center of the room.

Luke was now completely defenseless. He felt a sharp twinge of panic creeping into his mind but he shrugged it away. _This isn't over!_ When Vader aimed a swing at Luke's head, he had no choice but to roll out of the way which sent him tumbling down the flight of stairs. He quickly got back on his feet and crouched down in an offensive stance just as Vader leaped off the balustrade and landed in front of Luke.

The young man felt a slight pain in his side, likely one of his ribs had gotten bruised from the fall, but he ignored the pain and let the Force wash it away. Luke could not see where his lightsaber was and could not afford to take his eyes off his opponent to find out. Vader seemed to have no interest in exploiting his advantage.

"Your destiny lies with me, Skywalker," Vader growled forebodingly, slowly pushing his opponent towards the center of the room.

Luke was getting tired of Vader's familiar and condescending tone. As if he knew anything about him or what he had endured. He kept sneaking furtive glances around him to try to locate his lightsaber, but no luck.

"My destiny is mine to decide," Luke replied sharply. "And it will never have anything to do with a monster like you."

He was taken aback when Vader's Force signature shifted, ever so briefly, to resemble something that could almost be akin to… pain. But as soon as Luke thought he had sensed it, Vader's Force presence returned to an unreadable miasma of evil and anger.

"You are mistaken, young one," Vader continued, edging Luke closer and closer towards the gaping hole that had opened up behind him. "Our paths are more intertwined than you could possibly imagine. Obi-Wan knew this to be true."

Luke resisted the urge to lurch towards Vader when he said his name; not that it would have done him much good without his lightsaber. It made his blood boil whenever anyone said anything disparaging about Obi-Wan, especially someone like Vader; how would he know _anything_?

Luke tried to keep his tone even when he spoke:

"No. Obi-Wan is the greatest man I've ever known. He's told me all I need to know about you!"

Luke felt a sudden surge of aggression in Vader's Force presence, which made him step back only to find there was nowhere for his foot to go. Luke felt his body tip backward; he barely had time to slow his fall before he hit a hard metal grate bellow him. He managed to avoid any injury, but quickly realized he was sitting in a very dangerous place.

"All too easy," said Vader as he pulled a lever on a control panel.

Luke felt the floor rumble under his feet. A hissing sound got louder and louder; smoke was pooling around his ankles; the chemical scent in the air became even more pungent… In that moment, his level-headedness and patience were of no use; it was only by the grace of his survival instinct that he managed to leap straight out of the hole, using the Force to propel himself into the machinery above the carbonite-freezing machine.

"Perhaps you are not as strong as the Emperor thought," Vader spoke gravely as he watched the machine flash freeze the carbonite gas, releasing an impressive burst of white steam.

Luke kept his Force signature invisible since Vader had yet to see him. He used this brief respite to search around the room for his lightsaber, and heaved a silent sigh of relief when he saw its silvery glint a couple feet away from Vader.

_I need to press my advantage now. He's powerful but slow. I can overwhelm him if I'm more aggressive…_

Luke let his instincts take over. He reached out through the Force to summon his lightsaber just as he dropped down from his hiding place. When his weapons reached his hand, he gracefully twisted his body in midair and used his blade to slice clean through a mass of hoses, which spewed a cloud of harsh smelling gases.

Just as Vader turned around to face Luke, the young man grabbed one of the severed hoses and pointed it straight into his face. Had Vader not been wearing a helmet, the subfreezing gas would have irreversibly scarred his eyes; instead, it only obscured his lenses, forcing him to rely on the Force to locate Luke.

But the young man did not wait for his opponent to get his bearings. He immediately assaulted Vader with a powerful two-handed swing towards his head. But Luke had been so impatient to strike he had misjudged the distance between him and Vader. His blade sliced through the front of his mask, cutting through the area where his cheek would have been and across the bridge of his nose. The cut was only a surface wound and had not managed to slice all the way to Vader's flesh, but seeing that infernal mask finally damaged, filled Luke with an intoxicating rush of power and satisfaction.

"Impressive… Most impressive," Vader praised, his voice now noticeably wheezier due to the damage on his helmet. "Obi-Wan taught you well. You have controlled your fear… Now, release your anger!"

Luke mind desperately resisted the temptation, but his body was brimming with pent-up energy from his successful strike. When the Vader moved to attack, Luke felt a strange power course through him. He blocked Vader's strike easily and followed up with a series of slashes and stabs; they carried much more weight, Luke could feel his opponent blade quivering with each hit. For the first time, he was able to push Vader back; his attacks kept getting faster, more powerful; his vision was focusing in on Vader, nothing else mattered, his strength kept growing; he was taking pleasure in seeing how effective his strikes were…

_I'm winning! I can do this!_

"Your rage makes you powerful. Use it," Vader goaded as he held Luke's blade in check with his own. "Only your hatred can destroy me!"

When he spoke those words, Luke felt a sharp tug at the edge of his mind; a faint warning to stop. He was aware of it, but the words were inaudible to him. His tunnel vision slowly broadened, he realized how erratic his strikes were becoming; it was a shock, as if he had not been in control of his own body. Luke quickly realized he had somehow managed to push his opponent all the way to the edge of the freezing platform. Without thinking, Luke kicked Vader in the chest, sending him falling over the edge and disappearing into the dark chasm below.

As the adrenaline slowly left his body, Luke realized how dangerously far he had strain. He was covered in sweat, his knuckles were white from clenching his lightsaber so tightly, every muscle in his body ached and he felt like someone was drilling a hole through his head.

_What happened? It was like I couldn't control myself for a moment… Like someone else was behind the wheel… and I just let them be there…_

Luke took a few seconds to calm his thoughts and release his emotions into the Force, but he found it did not create the same soothing effect as before. He still felt a presence looming over his shoulder, watching his every move.

Luke looked towards where Vader had fallen, contemplating his two options: leave and go rescue Chewie and 3PO, or chase after Vader and finish what he had started. He could hear R2's words of warning clearly, but the second option simply felt inevitable. Luke could not allow such a powerful foe to continue posing a threat to him and his friends, not after coming so far.

Luke deactivated his lightsaber and jumped down into the dark depths below. He landed on a durasteel grate which appeared to be an area through which the small Ugnaught workers traveled. Directly to his left, a hatch suddenly opened, leading into a narrow tunnel. Luke progressed through it cautiously, keeping one hand close to his lightsaber and maintaining full awareness of any signs of Vader's Force presence.

He eventually reached a dark room with a few control panels and monitors. Just as soon as he stepped out of the tunnel, a heavy metal door hissed shut behind him. It appeared that Vader had spun a very large web in order to capture him.

_Not that it'll make any difference…_

Luke proceeded cautiously through the dimly-lit room. He was drawn to a circular window that shone a pale artificial light across the floor in a spiderweb pattern. Luke was certain Han would have pointed out the irony of such a motif, but the young man forced himself to set aside any memories of his old friend; right now they would only distract him. As he peered through the window he realized it gave out onto an enormous reactor shaft, peppered with small lights and vents. Luke could actually feel the pressure wave from the outside wind since it caused the window to hiss creak ever so slightly.

Luke immediately froze when those soft hisses were dwarfed by a cavernous breathing behind him. He spun around in a flash, igniting his lightsaber as he came face to face with Vader, waiting patiently amongst the heavy shadows of the room.

When he stepped closer to Luke, he was finally able to clearly see the damage he had dealt to Vader's face. The scar was actually deeper than he had originally thought, allowing him to see a sliver of pale, gnarled flesh where his cheek was. It was strange seeing that minuscule injury; for a moment it reminded Luke that he was actually fighting a human being, no matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise.

Vader must have noticed Luke's curious gaze since he turned his body away, shrouding the injured half of his face in darkness. In another situation, Luke might have reflected on the oddity of such an action, but now, it only made his senses sharpen with anticipation.

"I sense something… different in you," Vader said cryptically. He had yet to draw his own lightsaber. "You're aware of this conflict within you, between Light and Dark, yet continue to deny that which would give you power… Obi-Wan's influence is far-reaching within you."

"Don't you dare say his name!" Luke growled, taking a decisive step towards Vader, who remained unmoving. "You betrayed him and my father! Betrayed them both for the Empire and spread terror across the galaxy. There's nothing you could say that I haven't heard before."

"We shall see," Vader whispered threateningly, his Force presence quivering with a surge of anger.

Luke ran towards his opponent, ready to strike, but instead of meeting his blade, Vader ignited his lightsaber and threw it directly at Luke. He managed to narrowly dodge the deadly projectile, giving him a perfect opening for an attack. A few feet away from Vader, Luke jumped up into the air and used the momentum of his fall to deliver a two-handed swing onto Vader's head.

At the last second, Vader used the Force to deflect the incoming blade which cut uselessly through the hem of his cape and into the ground. Before Luke could react, Vader punched him square in the face with such power it sent him flying several feet back.

Luke felt like he had been hit by a speeder. His vision was blurry, his head throbbed painfully, when he brought his hand up to his head it came back covered in blood. Luke desperately shook away the sluggishness, using the Force to clear his eyes as he struggled back to his feet. What he saw when he looked back towards Vader was like something out of a nightmare.

Vader was no longer trying to hide or control his Force presence; it was now completely unbridled and erratic. Luke had to use the Force like a lifeline to avoid seeing strange visions and apparitions around his opponent; like specters or phantoms watching over him. He used all his power and concentration to steady himself as he held one hand over the large gash on his forehead which was bleeding all over his face. Luke expected to find his lightsaber in his other hand but was startled by what he saw instead. He had summoned the weapon to his hand almost instinctively, but this was not his father's lightsaber: it was Vader's.

As Luke looked back towards his opponent, he saw the familiar blue glow of his own sword. Vader examined the blade and hilt carefully, having seemingly forgotten about Luke. The young man stared at Vader's weapon disgustedly, almost feeling ashamed to hold it; the weapon that killed his father.

"You're just a boy playing with another man's legacy," Vader growled; the specters around him flared up with his anger. "You call yourself a Jedi, yet are not worthy to carry your own lightsaber. You believe you can defeat me, yet are unwilling to call upon the power that will allow you to do it. You are weak, Skywalker, yet unable to accept it."

Luke did not have time for a reply; Vader immediately charged at him with his lightsaber. Without thinking, Luke ignited the crimson blade just in time to parry the incoming attack, but before he could counter, he felt a heavy knock to the back of his head that almost made him blackout. As he focused his senses on Vader and backed away cautiously, Luke realized he had been hit in the head by a small metal crate. As soon as he realized this, he sensed Vader preparing to send another object flying towards him. This time, however, Luke was ready and sliced it clean in half before it could hit him.

_Two can play at this game,_ Luke thought, blinded to the rage seizing his body.

He ripped a large monitor station off the ground and sent it hurtling towards Vader who managed to blow it aside with the Force.

"Yes, you are beginning to give in," Vader's voice was like a snake's. "Let loose your anger!"

"Shut up!"

Luke used both his hands to lift boxes and control panels and sent everything flying towards Vader. While he managed to cut down or deflect most of the projectiles, Luke felt a rush of adrenaline when he saw a crate hit him in the side of the head.

Luke pressed his advantage, rushing towards Vader with a wild series of attacks which he all managed to block. The Dark Lord riposted with his own flurry of attacks which all carried so much more power and weight than before; it was hard for Luke to realize he was fighting the same person, but he refused to give an inch. The burning sensation in his gut continued to build as he punctuated his fast attacks by throwing objects towards Vader with the Force.

After a minute of trading blows, neither side had managed to land a successful hit. However, Luke was starting to feel exhaustion and wariness, while Vader's breathing remained steady and uninterrupted. The sweat was making the cut on his forehead bleed even more, dripping into his eyes and impairing his vision. It only took a split second for Vader to seize the opportunity; holding on to the edge of the wall with one hand, he used the Force to send a piece of machinery crashing into the large window behind Luke. The impact only made a small crack, but the difference in pressure caused the entire frame to be ripped out, creating a vacuum that pulled everything out into the reactor shaft. By the time Luke realized what was happening, it was too late, he was sent hurtling over the edge towards his death.

* * *

His entire body felt flimsy and weak, his mind was jumbled and unfocused; he was slowly pulling himself out of unconsciousness but almost wanted to remain asleep. The pain was all-encompassing and unrelenting; he wanted to release it, he needed to release it, but…

"Yes, Obi-Wan… Please, release your pain… My son still needs you."

_Impossible…_ Obi-Wan desperately gathered his strength to raise his head towards this familiar voice. _It can't be…_

As he slowly opened his eyes, Obi-Wan saw someone he never thought he would ever see again; yet here she was. Padmé Amidala looked into his haggard gaze and smiled with such dazzling kindness and grace it made all of Obi-Wan's injuries disappear in a second. He could feel the Force around him again, for the first time in what felt like an eternity. He allowed it to course through his body, savoring it and ravishing it like a water spring in an endless desert.

Obi-Wan looked at Padmé closer with his sharpened eyes and understood why she was here. Her entire body was transparent with a slight blue tint, but unlike Rahm Kota, the outline of her form wavered and shifted uncertainly. As his gaze wandered, Obi-Wan recognized five familiar faces, or rather five familiar masks, of Serenity, Joy, Anger, Confusion, and Sadness: the Force Priestesses, those who held the secret to maintaining one's individuality after death.

The full realization of what was happening made Obi-Wan's heart heavy with dread. He tried to summon a smile from behind his ragged, beard, but Padmé could see the tears he was holding back.

"What's wrong, Obi-Wan?" she asked, her melodious words easing the old Jedi's wariness.

Obi-Wan had to resist the urge to hold her hand. He did not want to remind himself that she was not truly here and that she could not stay. Even now, the angelic contours of her face and hands were hard to make out, like she could disappear at any moment.

"I'm ashamed to have you see me like this," Obi-Wan whispered hoarsely. "I promised you I would save Anakin and protect Luke, and I've failed miserably at both. I arrogantly thought I could train Luke better than I did his father, but instead, I've only led him further astray…"

Obi-Wan voiced trailed away before falling silent. He realized how unbecoming this self-pitying was; he hated how he was crying and whining in front of the woman to whom he had sworn he would protect her husband and son.

When Obi-Wan felt Padmé's hand run against his beard, all his frustration disappeared into thin air. He could feel her soft, small hand run up the side of his jaw before coming to rest over his left temple. Obi-Wan thought he was hallucinating; her touch felt so real but there was no way it could be, he was just dreaming... The coolness of her palm was calming, the imperceptible twitches of her fingers sent shivers down Obi-Wan's spine: even if it wasn't real, he did not want to risk finding out. He simply kept his eyes closed and relished this simple, impossible contact.

"You never could help yourself from bearing all the galaxy's ills on your shoulders," Obi-Wan could hear the smile in Padmé's voice but dared not look. "You _have_ turned the tide, Obi-Wan. You may think all his lost in darkness, but that only makes the light shine brighter. Luke will soon face a choice, the most important one he will ever make, but do not assume you did not help him. Your teachings will reach him; they always have."

Obi-Wan no longer had a reason to hold back his tears. He wanted to hug Padmé tightly and never let her go but he could not face the possibility of not being able to touch her. The tears stung his eyes but he kept them shut; he could still feel her hand, but he would not look or touch her.

"Goodbye, Obi-Wan…"

The sadness and faint tremor of fear in her voice instinctively forced Obi-Wan to open his eyes; right at that moment, he felt a soft, tender kiss touch his forehead. When Padmé pulled away from him, he saw a mesmerizing smile on her lips, framed by two single tears that streamed down her cheeks.

"I will always—"

Obi-Wan rushed to grip her hands; he wanted to, he needed to hold her just to know… Before she could finish speaking; before he could reach her; Padmé disappeared. She faded into nothingness, along with the five Priestesses.

Obi-Wan was left all alone in his cell. He did not even care where he was or what was happening around him; he just lingered in the fading elation of these few precious minutes. In the end, it did not matter if it had been real or not; the effect it had had on him was very much real.

* * *

Luke desperately tried to catch his breath as he dangled by the edge of his fingers on the edge of a narrow walkway above the bottomless reactor shaft. The intense winds swayed Luke from side to side, straining his muscles and preventing him from regaining his senses. He had not been able to brace himself correctly after being sucked through the window and had fallen straight onto the guardrail with barely enough time to cushion his fall with the Force.

Luke felt an intense throbbing on his left side; several of his ribs were most definitely broken and the pressure they created on his lugs was excruciatingly painful and prevented him from thinking straight.

_I can't die like this… Not now, I have to…_

With newfound determination, Luke put all his energy into his biceps to pull himself onto the walkway, but just as he did, a stabbing pain in his right arm made him let out a strangled cry and kept him from pulling himself up. There was a five-inch-long metal shard impaled in his right forearm, leaking blood onto his clothes and down his shoulder.

Luke was completely out of ideas. The winds were getting stronger and blew his legs around under him, creating even more strain on his ribs and forearm. His strength and stamina were nearly spent; he could focus just enough on the Force to keep from letting go; he felt the blood rushing out of his right hand, his fingers were getting weak, and eventually, his entire right arm just fell slack by his side, completely numb and blood-deprived.

Luke was now hanging by only one arm; he barely had three fingers gripping the walkway. He was all out of energy, Luke could barely string together a coherent thought…

_No… I can't…_

His left hand slowly slipped off the walkway; time seemed to slow to a crawl. As Luke's fingers lost their grip and he began to fall, he watched as his desperate, reaching hand moved further and further away from the walkway as he fell down the reactor shaft.

_Dammit… I'm sorry, Obi-Wan… I—_

Luke thoughts were violently interrupted when he felt someone grip his left hand, halting his descent. He looked up and saw a cloaked figure lying flat on the walkway. Luke could not make out the person's face, all he saw was the strand of red hair that dipped below her hood.

"Take my hand if you want to live."

His vision on Dagobah and Yoda's warning came rushing back into Luke's mind and he did not hesitate to deal with the pain of raising his right arm. The mysterious figure now gripped both his hands tightly.

"You need to use the Force as well. I can't lift you up by myself."

"I'll follow your word," Luke whispered as he summoned the Force to temper his pain and strengthen his limbs.

"Three… Two… One…" the figure anxiously focused on the Force, praying Vader was still far away. "Now!"

As one, they used the Force to propel Luke up and over the railing to safety. The young man lay flat on his back, panting from exhaustion but already his lucidity was returning.

When his vision was no longer a jumbled blur, Luke gingerly rose to his feet, propping himself up against the side of the giant gas-processing vane they were currently standing on. He looked towards the hooded figure who seemed to be waiting for him to finally make eye-contact. When he did, she removed her hood.

Intimidating, serious, fierce, beautiful, curious, stern, mesmerizing; all these words sprung into Luke's mind instinctively, but in the end, he remembered that day on Hoth, when he had fought to hold back the Imperial advance.

_That was her…_

Luke let out a short chuckle, as if understanding the mediocre punchline to a terrible joke. Strangely, Mara nodded her head with a knowing smile, like she was in on this terrible joke.

"Not who you were expecting?" she asked sarcastically.

"Rather surprised it took you so long to get here," Luke replied with a pained smirk. He winced when he laid a hand on his ribs. "But thank you for coming. Truly."

"Sure," Mara said simply before taking a closer look at Luke's injured forearm. "I'm Mara Jade by the way. I already know who you are. Here let me help you with that. Just make sure you stay quiet."

Luke watched wordlessly as Mara gripped his forearm with one hand, held the metal shard in the other, and ripped it out with one swift pull. He held back a strangled cry of pain as Mara applied pressure around the wound with both hands; a few drops of blood fell through the metal platform and disappeared into the endless void below.

As Mara pressed down on his wound, Luke felt a warmth flow through his body from the puncture point. It made him forget his injured ribs, it was like a shot of energy into his system, awakening all his senses and easing his high-strung mind.

When Mara removed her hands, there was no longer any bleeding, just a patch of fresh scar tissue.

"That won't hold up under too much stress," Mara said distractedly as she anxiously checked her surroundings. "I've freed your friends and they're doing a flyby with the ship waiting to pick us up. We need to get out of here quick."

Mara had begun to lead Luke towards the entrance to the gas-processing vane, but he stopped dead in his tracks when he heard her speak.

"I'm not going anywhere," Luke said assertively. "I need to face Vader, I have to finish what I started."

"Listen, kid," Mara tried to keep the exasperation and frustration out of her voice. "I don't know what kind of power trip you're on right now, but you don't 'face' Vader or 'finish what you started' with him. That man is an unstoppable force, all we can do is get out of the way and run like hell."

"First of all, _kid_, my name's Luke. Second, _you_ didn't just duel that unstoppable force a second ago. He _needs_ to be put down. He's strong, but I was able to overwhelm him multiple times. If we team up against him we can—"

The stinging slap echoed across the reactor shaft, leaving a bright red mark on Luke's cheek. He looked towards Mara in outrage but she just stared back with utter contempt and disgust.

"You need to snap out of it now, Luke. I've also been face to face with that monster and let me tell you, if you think you're anywhere close to being able to defeat him you're a fool who deserves to die. Our power is about equal you and I, and I wasn't even able to _move_ when Vader decided to get serious—"

"—If we don't act now, who knows how many more will—"

"Shut up! I don't care about the rest of the galaxy! I care about you! The Force brought us together; Obi-Wan saved my life so that I could find you, he sacrificed himself for me _and_ for you! It can't all have been for nothing… I… still need to repay him; _WE _still need to save him. There'll be other times to face Vader, but Obi-Wan will die if we choose to face him here."

Mara was glad to see understanding and remorse shine in Luke's eyes, but it all came crashing down when a cavernous breathing echoed from inside the corridor of the processing vane.

Vader advanced towards them, lightsaber at his belt, arms resting by his side. His Force presence was oppressive, like a physical Force crushing down on Luke and Mara. They could feel their eardrums ringing, their hands were jittering, it was like their feet were welded to the ground. Mara had to concentrate all her Force energy to will herself to back away from Vader, onto a narrow walkway behind them. Luke followed her, step by step.

"What an ending this will be," Vader mused cynically; they could see the corner of his scared lips moving through the cut in his mask. "The boy who challenged an Empire, and the girl who betrayed it. One will die, the other will rule the galaxy at my side."

Mara did not bother coming up with a snarky rebuttal; it would have been a precious waste of energy. She and Luke kept moving away from Vader down the walkway, trying not to look down.

"We have to fight," Luke muttered.

"What?" Mara had barely heard him, the ringing in her eardrums was not easy to suppress.

"We have to stand our ground and fight," Luke repeated as he stopped backing away from Vader. "There's no escape for us. The only way out…"

Luke slowly and deliberately removed his lightsaber from his belt; he pointed it towards Vader and ignited the brilliant blue blade which he was glad to see was no longer red.

"… is through him."

Mara did not have the chance to say another word before Luke charged Vader with a flurry of two-handed swings and swipes. She wanted to kick herself for what she was about to do, but deep down she knew they were simply out of options. Mara ignited her magenta lightsaber and followed behind Luke.

The young man sensed her Force presence behind him. Vader had managed to block all his strikes without even taking a step back. Emboldened by a strange mirth and glee that coursed through his body, Luke gripped the side one of the guardrail with his right hand and used the Force to swing himself over it and use the momentum to propel himself around Vader.

Mara watched in complete shock as he pulled off this completely insane and suicidal maneuver; somehow, Luke managed to keep Vader at bay with his lightsaber in his free hand and landed back onto the walkway behind Vader: they now had him boxed in between them.

The move was unfortunately too much exertion for the partly-healed scar on Luke's forearm. The wound tore open and began leaking blood again down onto his hand, but Luke simply flicked it away and tightened his grip around his lightsaber; the crimson liquid turned the brilliant silver handle into a blotched red mess. Luke did not care or did not notice.

He immediately reengaged Vader, his blows somehow gaining even more speed and power. The red and blue clash of blades created explosions of sparks as they cut through pieces of the railing on either side of them, neither one seemed to give an inch.

Mara quickly joined the fray, swinging right for Vader's unprotected back. The Sith Lord felt it coming and deftly pivoted out of the way, sending Mara's blade slicing through the floor of the walkway, dangerously close to Luke's foot.

Vader now turned his attention towards her. Seeing his towering, nightmarish form made Mara tense up with fear, but she quickly brushed it aside and met his blade with her own. Luke tried to attack Vader from behind, but the latter unleashed a powerful Force push which sent the young man flying several meters away, nearly causing him to fall off the walkway. Refocusing his attention on Mara, Vader started ramping up the pressure; the intensity of his Force presence transformed once again into a hellish and debilitating aura.

"You've gotten weak," Vader sneered. "You believe you are powerful? That the Light will set you free? It seems Obi-Wan foolishness has infected you too…"

Mara was about to reply, but suddenly, she felt something constricting around her throat, restricting her breathing. She desperately tried to push against it, to fight it off, but the grip just kept tightening around her windpipe. Vader stood uncaringly before her, his hand extended out, crushing the life out of her with his grip.

She felt herself being lifted off the ground, dangling helplessly in the air. Mara could no longer breath, the remaining oxygen in her lungs was quickly running out. Her eyes lost focus, everything darkened, blood rushed out of all of her extremities; she barely heard Vader's voice when he spoke:

"Don't look down."

Mara felt her body being dragged back through the air, over the walkway, over the gas-vane's sensor array, and suddenly, she was no longer flying over anything. As her body began to fall, Mara desperately reached out; trying to grab… but she was too far…

"NOOO!"

Vader quickly whirled around when he heard the scream, just in time to block Luke's incoming blade. The young man's Force presence was brimming with frantic anger; Vader could sense how erratic and chaotic his mind was, his eyes were wild and unnatural. The Sith Lord actually had to concentrate on the fight and use all his power to avoid getting overwhelmed by the flurry of attacks.

_The boy is powerful, no doubt more than myself,_ Vader reflected darkly. _But he is still just a boy._

While Luke's attacks were devastatingly fast and violent, they lacked any strategic or technical intent behind them; they were just strikes of rage, of anger, of hate, and Vader could match them easily.

Luke bombarded Vader with attack after attack after attack but none got past him. He was pushing him back but he could not break the Sith Lord's defense, all he was doing was burning through his stamina. In a moment of carelessness, Luke dropped his combat stance for just a second, allowing Vader to reach out with his free hand and clamp down hard onto the freshly reopened wound on Luke's forearm. The young man cried out in pain, but it only intensified the savageness of his Force presence.

_Good… good… give in to these feelings… let them grant you power!_

Luke shook his head, trying to ignore the sordid voice as he attacked Vader with his other hand, but the Sith Lord would not let go of him and kept his lightsaber strikes at bay.

Eventually, Vader yanked Luke towards him and threw him to the ground, placing himself between him and his way out. Luke was cornered, with Vader's lightsaber pointed in his face as he towered over him.

"You are beaten! It is useless to resist," Vader's tone betrayed a certain frustration as he stared into Luke's unrelenting glare. "Don't let yourself be destroyed as Obi-Wan did."

The name was like a jolt of electricity to Luke's system; his Force presence eased and his eyes regained focus. He batted Vader's blade away and quickly jumped back to his feet just as his opponent swung his blade where his body had been.

Luke quickly took stock of his surroundings as if he had been in trance; his entire body felt numb, his head felt like it was going to split open and the pain in his forearm and ribcage could no longer be pushed aside. Blood was seeping onto his lightsaber, making it harder for him to hold it; he was out of breath, his forehead was slick with sweat. This sudden weakness confused him at that moment, he could barely summon a thought to wonder where Mara was…

He hopelessly tried to protect himself against Vader's strikes but it did not do him any good. Every attack he blocked seemed to jar his entire body, he kept taking steps backward but he was reaching the end of the walkway; all that was left behind him was a small cluster of antennas, hanging precariously over the bottomless reactor shaft.

Finally, one of Vader's strikes proved to be too much for Luke to handle. The force of the blow sent Luke's lightsaber flying out of his hand, only to be caught in midair through the Force and returned to Vader's hand.

Luke was helpless. All he could do was back away onto the narrow metal fixture that connected the antennas to the walkway. Vader observed the blood-stained lightsaber with a strange reverence before attaching it to his belt and deactivating his crimson blade.

"There is no escape," Vader's words were slow and deliberate; the corner of his lips barely moved. "Don't make me destroy you."

Luke tried to mutter a reply but he could not summon the energy; he was completely and utterly spent. He could only continue to move away from Vader, balancing precariously on the narrow beam.

"Luke, you do not yet realize your importance," Vader's tone almost sounded like a plea; a desperate appeal to reason. "You have only begun to discover your power. Join me and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy."

"I'll never join you!" Luke spat back defiantly.

As he uttered his reply, he felt a sudden surge in the Force as Mara leaped up from underneath the walkway behind Vader and struck at his exposed back. The blow sliced clean across the Sith Lord's back, from his shoulder to his hip, causing him to let out a strangled cry of pain. Unfortunately, the cut was not deep enough to be fatal; it would have paralyzed a normal man, but not Vader.

Mara's only chance for victory was gone. As Vader ignited his lightsaber and turned around to face her, she knew there was no hope; she could not defeat him. Mara tried to block or avoid his strikes but it only prolonged the inevitable; she was running out of strength, her hold on the Force was wavering. She managed to direct the fight so that she was between Luke and Vader. If it was to be her final duel, she had to make sure she protected the one who would make a difference in the end.

"Mara… don't…"

She could hear Luke whispering something behind her, but could not make out what he was saying. She wanted to say something clever, something reassuring or brave, but she had run out of all of these things.

When Vader's decisive strike came, it was like everything slowed down, as if to let her appreciate the precious final seconds. Mara could only watch as Vader twisted her lightsaber out of her hand, sending it falling into the abyss, and, without hesitation, cut straight through her wrist. Her lifeless hand fell to the ground with a sickening thud, still twitching and pulsing, like a final macabre wave.

Mara clutched the bloody stump, desperately stifling the screams of pain. She did not realize as she took a step back that she had run out of ground; she fell over the side of the walkway only to be caught by Luke who hoisted her up beside him and cradled her in his arms, his eyes burning with grief and remorse.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry," he muttered desperately as he pressed down on her wound to stop the bleeding.

Mara just smiled weakly, using her intact hand to press down on the mangled cut on his forearm. They stayed locked together like this for several seconds; holding each other's wounds, holding each other's gaze, somehow reading each other's thoughts.

"Everything will be alright… I'm sure it… has to…" Mara speech was slurred as she battled to remain conscious.

Vader watched them both silently. If they could see his eyes, they would have seen a distant blue gaze, lost in memories of a distant past.

When Vader snapped back to reality, he took a decisive step towards Luke and Mara, leaning over the guardrail to get closer to them.

"If you both only knew the power of the dark side," Vader growled in frustration, bordering on desperation. "You would throw away your lives for the powerless and corrupt Jedi? You would follow Obi-Wan's useless and misguided sacrifice?"

"He's more powerful than you'll ever be," Luke shouted back. His thoughts were in a complete haze but he held on to the constant truth he had known his whole life about Obi-Wan. "He showed me my place in the galaxy, and he told me all I'll ever need to know about you… murderer!"

Luke spat out the final word with savage bitterness, bearing his teeth like a caged animal. Vader just observed him wordlessly, struggling to keep his mounting emotions repressed.

"If only you knew…" Vader whispered to himself. He paused for a long moment before speaking. "Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father?"

"He told me enough," Luke's tone was heavy with suffering and unbridled emotions, but they no longer gave him power; he could not fight anymore. "He told me you killed him!"

...

…

…

"No. I am your father."

When Mara heard those words, a wave of fear and panic seized her entire body. She clutched tighter onto Luke's wound and looked at his face, but he did not look back. His eyes were lost; wavering aimlessly. His entire body began to convulse as he let out a guttural cry of pain, of anger, of grief, of betrayal…

"No… No! That's not true! That's impossible!"

Every word was laden with repressed rage, spoken through gritted teeth.

"Search your feelings! You know it to be true!"

Luke fell silent; his Force presence was an untethered mess. Mara tried to shake Luke out of his trance but it was no use; he was completely despondent. The crushing weight of this revelation had sapped all of his fighting spirit.

"Luke. You can destroy the Emperor, he has foreseen this. It is your destiny. Join me and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son."

Vader held out his gloved hand, still stained with blood. Luke looked towards his… father's hand, up towards his masked face; the corner of his exposed lips were twisted downward in anguish but Luke did not register it. His gaze dropped towards the never-ending fall below; the luminescent tunnel that led straight to the planet bellow, several tens of thousands of kilometers down.

"Come with me… It is the only way."

Luke raised his head back up, his eyes suddenly filled with an inexplicable serenity and clarity. They shone bright like gemstones; _like Obi-Wan's eyes_, Mara recalled. When he turned towards her and their gazes met, she felt strangely entranced by those cerulean orbs, like things might truly end up alright in the end…

"I…" Mara interrupted Luke by placing a delicate finger on his lips; she smeared blood on his face when she did this but he did not seem to mind.

"Yes," was her simple reply to his unspoken question.

As one, they let go of the antennas and dropped over the side into the void below, never letting go of each other.

* * *

**And that's done!**

**I don't even have the energy to write any more words... Just let me know if this held some sort of value to you or if this chapter was just a bunch of buildup for nothing. Don't worry, I can take it. I've been struggling to process whether or not this chapter is good or bad, so I leave it up to you to tell me what you think and in turn, I will base my self-worth on your feedback (sarcasm, for those who were wondering)**

**Anyways, I'll see you all real soon. Right now I'm just going to enjoy my vacation. I'm leaving for Italy in less than two weeks ;) **

**May the Force be with you. Always.**


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